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Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru Oct 21: Minister for higher education Basavaraj Rayareddy along with other dignitaries inaugurated the Dr P Dayananda Pai-Sathish Pai Government First Grade College, which was hitherto known as Car Street Government First Grade College.
Inauguration of the decennial celebration, extended computer lab, new PG courses, and laying of foundation stone for post-metric D Devraj Urs girls hostel were also held here on the same occasion on Saturday October 21.
Addressing the gathering Basavaraj Rayareddy said, "I am very happy that this college is named after P Dayananda Pai and Sathish Pai. We do not bring anything when we are born and will not take back when we die. But whatever we donate and do good for the society will remain permanent, so that the coming generation will utilize it. We have a mindset that students who are poor will enrol at government college and richer at private institutions. This mindset has to be changed, government college is not less than private institutions in teaching facilities. Several eminent personalities are alumni of government colleges in the state,"
”After this government came into existence, chief minister Siddaramaiah has given high priority to education. During 1947 the literacy level was only 11%. Today it has reached up to 75%. In Karnataka literacy level is 76% while in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi it is 94%.. This will go up in near future. Higher education growth is 28%. We have a plan to make it to 40% in the state. Reason behind the low percentage is due to economic conditions of the families where the parents cannot afford their children for their higher studies and end up doing menial jobs at a very young age. In order to rise the higher education percentage, residency colleges in 16 districts will come up with a budget of 25 crore for each college,” he added.
“After I took the charge as minister, a survey was conducted about the status of government colleges in the state. There are nearly 412 government colleges out of which 112 colleges need to be rebuilt. So we have made a master plan for which we need approximately Rs 3,500 crore. With regard to teaching recruitment, vacancy for early 3,000 assistant professors was there and last month we were able recruit 2160 assistant professors,” he said.
"Today the technology is advanced. So we decided to provide laptops to the students. On November 18, chief minister Siddaramaiah will be distributing laptops to 36,000 SC and ST student of 412 first grade college and 81 government polytechnic colleges in the state. We will also provide laptops to 1, 50,000 students of all sections of students by January 2018. From next year laptops will provided to the first year students of Dr P Dayananda Pai- Sathish Pai government first Grade College,” announced Rayareddy.
"We have 217 engineering colleges with 4 lac students in them and 85,000 students get graduated from engineering but employability is less. So we will also construct a skill university under Visvesvarayya Technological University, “ informed Rayareddy.
“Karnataka State Open University was at the verge of closure due to irregularities of previous vice chancellor due to which 94,000 students faced trouble. UGC had cancelled the grant and we demand UGC in providing grants,” Rayareddy said.
Minister for food and civil supplies U T Khader said," I thank and congratulate Dr Dayananda Pai and his family for taking the initiative for the betterment of this college. Since Rayareddy has become the minister for higher education, there has been immense change in the education sector. If students need to go forward they should stay away from mobile and TV.”
College patron Dr P Dayananda Pai said, "We should come out of the mindset that only poor students come to government college and rich to private institutions. This is a very good college which has vast history and can call it as a temple of learning. We should take poverty as a challenge and prove what you can do. Mobile and TV have made the world closer but also have made people apart and we should make education as our priority. Then can grow up to any level. Being born as poor is not a crime or sin but dying with poor is a crime and sin because it proves that you have achieved nothing in your life. Execute 4D formula, have desire, dream, devotion and discipline in your life,”
Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy distributed scholarships to 15 students.
Basavaraj Rayareddy, College patron Dr P Dayananda Pai and Sathish Pai were felicitated.
MLA J R Lobo, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, mayor Kavitha Sanil, Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof K Byrappa, college patron Sathish Pai, corporator Rameeza Banu and others were present.