Daijiworld Media Network – Mysore (SP)
Mysore, May 19: Honorary doctorate degrees were awarded to Lok Sabha speaker, Meira Kumar, and chairman of University Grants Commission, Prof Sukhadeo Thorat, at the ninetieth annual convocation of the University of Mysore on Tuesday May 18. The function was held in the Crawford Hall of the university.
The function was organized to lay foundation stone for the new building of Babu Jagajeevanram Studies, Research and Extension Centre, and release of books, in addition to conferring the doctorates. State Governor H R Bhardwaj, conferred the honorary doctorates on both the distinguished personalities.
In her address, Meira Kumar stressed on the need to spend more on creating infrastructure to improve the quality of education. She said this is particularly needed in the field of higher education. She called upon the universities and higher educational institutions to make best use of their human resources to work towards the welfare of the nation, at a time when the entire world is moving towards creating a knowledge society. “The extent of progress we would be able to achieve directly depends on the quality and quantity of infrastructure provided for research,” she noted.
She also decried gender discrimination in the field of education, as the nation’s aim of women empowerment will remain a dream if we fail to educate the girls.
Higher education minister, Aravind Limbavali, said that it is the responsibility of every Kannadiga to protect and contribute to the growth of Kannada language. Towards this end, he advised the lecturers to use Kannada language wherever possible. He explained that the state government is prepared to provide land and other facilities, if the University Grants Commission sanctions an international level university for the state.
State Governor, H R Bhardwaj, observed that the universities in the state have been infested with politics of the syndicates. He felt that there is a need to create an environment in which the universities are able to function independently and autonomously.