JOIN USChief Minister promises funds for centenary year of Mysore varsity
With two years to go for the centenary year celebrations of the University of Mysore in 2016, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised to release adequate funds to celebrate the occasion in a fitting manner.
Participating in a programme organised by the University of Mysore at Crawford Hall in the city on Sunday, mainly to dedicate the building of Department of Studies in Jainology and Prakrit and 25 books of Prasaranga, the publication wing of the varsity, Siddaramaiah also the alumni of the varsity, instructed Vice-chancellor Prof K S Rangappa to start preparations to chalk out special programmes for the centenary year.
The chief minister made it a point that the university should not compromise on its quality. He cited the example of Prof S Radhakrishnan, also a faculty of the University in its nascent days who went on to become the Vice-president and President of India. The varsity should have faculty of such calibre too.
The chief minister felt that one should not avail education for the sole purpose of employment. Education would be complete only when students acquired moral knowledge.
Jain scholar Hampa Nagarajaiah exhorted the chief minister to establish an exclusive University for Prakrit Studies at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district and added that Karnataka would be the first State to boast of such a facility in the country.
Nagarajaiah said ready made infrastructure was available for the varsity at Shravanabelagola with Jain seer Sri Charukeerthi Bhattaraka running a college offering diploma courses in prakrit studies.
Earlier, V-C K S Rangappa demanded a grant of Rs 100 crore (Rs 50 crore in two stages) for the further development works. Rangappa also presented a memorandum to the chief minister explaining to the latter about vacancy in non-teaching posts and the dependency on guest lecturers to fill the gaps in teaching posts too, which he said would aggravate in the next three years.