Pics: Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (TU/CN)

Mangalore, Dec 20: Prof Syed Akheel Ahmed, vice-chancellor, Yenepoya University, said on Friday December 19 that the media should highlight educational news to help produce ‘knowledge workers’ in the country.

After inaugurating the one-day workshop on ‘Funding Agencies for Research Projects and Designing Project Proposals’, organized by the Library and Research and Development Cell, St Agnes College, he said, “We have to have knowledge workers to elevate India to the status of a developed country. Utilization of available talents will make our country most efficient.” 

Saying that deemed universities are a very important segment in the knowledge-driven economy, he added that giving approval to 120 deemed universities was a major leap by the government.

Asking researchers to take an assignment as a challenge or for pleasure, Prof Ahmed pointed out that they should realize that they are accountable for the funds provided for research projects. He also opined that utilization of funding agencies is a paramount task.

Praising the organizers for conducting such workshops, Prof Ahmed termed the programme the most sacred step in a million kilometre journey of producing knowledge workers. “Researchers should shift their ideas from passive mode to active mode because ideas rule the world”, he stressed.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr M S Moodithaya, director, Justice K S Hegde Institute of Management, said India is not a progressive country as far as higher education is concerned. About 60 percent of the total population goes for higher studies in America and Japan, while in India it is merely 11 percent, he lamented.

‘DAKLA’, the newsletter brought out by the department of library was also released on the occasion. Principal Dr Prem D’Souza, Dr Purushothama, co-ordinator, and Dr Vishala B K were present on the occasion.