Karnataka needs an IIT, says minister

Addressing after inaugurating the Golden Jubilee Global Alumni Convention of the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) organised by the NITK Alumni Association at Surathkal near here on Saturday, Limbavali said, “it is a step-motherly attitude of the centre that Karnataka was neglected even when an IIT was allotted to Andhra Pradesh. State needs an IIT so that the quality of higher education can be increased further,” he said and urged union ministers from the state to take initiative in this regard.

Limbavali said that though the state has good number of government engineering colleges, the quality of education is not up to the mark. Government provides all infrastructure and recruits expert faculty to government engineering colleges. However, government colleges fail to offer quality education, even though the state spends more money than private institutions.

State pays UGC scale salary to all teachers, but still quality of education has not been increased, he said adding that the attitude of teachers should be changed for a change in the situation.

He said that the poor students in the rural areas are not able to pursue higher education because of lack of proper coaching. Government has already sanctioned 100 CET coaching centres in rural areas in the state, he added.

Limbavali said that while the national average of higher education enrolment is only 9 percent, state’s average is 11 percent. The state has an aim to increase the average to 15 percent, he added.

VIAT in Muddenahalli
Limbavli said that the foundation stone ceremony for the Vishweshwaraiah Institute of Advanced Technology (VIA) at Muddenahalli in Chikkabellapura, the birth place of Sir M Vishweshwaraiah, will be held very shortly.

He said that the state has already handed over around 200 acres of land to the Vishweshwaraiah Technological University (VTU) for the purpose. The institute will offer courses in diversified branches including nano-technology, he said adding that MoUs will also be made with foreign universities.

‘No brain drain’
Former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes said that earlier there was a threat of brain drain before the nation. Those qualified and expert manpower were being migrated developed nations in search of green pastures. However, now there is a reverse trend that those Indian brains are seen returning to motherland, he added.

He lamented that 93 per cent of the students in India are being deprived of university education. Union government is planning to open about 50,000 vocational training centres to make rural youths skilled, he added.

He said that only IISc of Bangalore has a place in the list of 500 best institutions across the world. We should strive to take at least 10 of our institutions in the list, he added.
Former directors of NITK Prof B S Basavarajaih, Prof N R Shetty, Prof B T Nijaguna, Prof Sudhakar Shetty, Prof P N Singh, Prof S S Moorthi and Prof H V Sudhakar Naik were felicitated. NITK director Prof Sandeep Sancheti presided. NITK Alumni Association president K Yajnanarayana and organising secretary Prof Gopal Mugeraya were present.