Madikeri: Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University K.M. Kaveriappa said here on Tuesday that a common entrance test (CET) would be held for the 11 new postgraduate courses to be introduced soon, proposed to become operational from this academic year.

Presiding over the valedictory of the Students Union of the Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College, he said a decision to hold the CET was taken at an inter-university board meeting recently. Those passing the CET could be accommodated in any college.

Education was being considered a "tradable commodity" as per the World Trade Organisation stipulation and universities had turned out to be "factories" for churning out products.

India was a signatory to the WTO. Universities from foreign nations could set up establishments in the country and vice-versa. In view of this, there was an imperative need to face the challenges of education by improving the quality of education, he said.

Prof. Kaveriappa said fund constraints had hindered the plans of Mangalore University such as creating infrastructure in the constituent colleges. Grants received from the Government had lessened with the Government saying the university will have to manage its own resources for development.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Applications course at the college here might have to be discontinued owing to shortage of student strength, he indicated. Two more PG courses could be started here in the current academic year, he said.

The former Minister M.C. Nanaiah called upon the students to take advantage of the new opportunities, thanks to the opening up of avenues in the IT and BT sectors.

He urged students to develop good communication skills in view of the observation made by certain corporate Chief Executive Officers recently in Bangalore that due to lack of communication skills, many youth could not fit into good and lucrative jobs.

Mr. Nanaiah appealed to Prof. Kaveriapa and Registrar of Mangalore University K. Sundar Naik to provide additional funds for developing infrastructure at the college here.

Dr. Sundar Naik, who was conferred doctorate recently, was felicitated by Mr. Nanaiah.

Madikeri MLA K.G.Bopaiah, MLC C.S. Arun Machaiah and Kuttanna spoke. T.D. Thimmaiah, adviser of the students' union, read out a report.

District in-charge Minister Ramachandra Gowda laid a foundation stone for the construction of a "comfort room" for the girl students at the college proposed to be built at a cost of Rs. 4.5 lakh.

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