The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : Respond to people's needs, colleges told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 25, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Respond to people's needs, colleges told

By Our Staff Correspondent

M. I. Savadatti, member, UGC, and former Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University, addressing a gathering after inaugurating a seminar on `Extension and outreach activities of the college - new dimensions' in Mangalore on Thursday.

MANGALORE, MARCH 24. Universities and colleges should not remain at the periphery of society, but should become part of society, said M.I. Savadatti, member, University Grants Commission and former Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University.

Inaugurating a workshop on "Extension and outreach activities of the college — new dimensions" at Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara College of Business Management, here on Thursday, Mr. Savadatti said educationists in universities and colleges have not succeeded in reaching out to the deprived sections of society. Most of the activities of colleges and universities have been restricted to their respective curriculum.

NSS activities

The activities of the National Service Scheme (NSS) is probably the only one which attempts to bring the universities and colleges near to people, he said. "The activities of the NSS is not a success. At the same time it is not a complete failure.''

Academics should introspect whether they have succeeded in transmitting the knowledge to the needy and deprived sections of society, he said.

Mr. Savadatti said educational institutions will become the centre of activity only when they respond to the expectations of people. They should understand what people expected from universities and colleges. During the freedom struggle, teachers and students were part of society as they too joined the freedom struggle. But later educational institutions have remained away from the needs of the people, he added.

The former Vice-Chancellor said that the skills imparted to students should be able to fetch them employment. "Skill should be a precondition to employment," he said. Educational institutions must focus on imparting "life skills" to students and not only the curriculum.

L.H. Manjuanth, Executive Director, Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, G. P. Shivaram, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, Mangalore University, spoke.

Devaraj K, principal of the SDM College of Business Management, welcomed the gathering. Aruna P Kamath, organising secretary of the workshop was present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

Respond to people's needs, colleges told

`1,000 succumbing to TB in India every day'

Man bludgeons wife, attempts suicide

Indicators: RTO fiat to goods vehicles

IA special fares to Bangkok, Sharjah

Elocution contest on population

`Management professionals are future leaders'

In Mangalore Today