Learn English, will you?
GANESH PRABHU
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EducationPlus Club launched in institute near Udupi
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Sound advice: Pro-Chancellor of Manipal University H.S. Ballal speaking at the inauguration of the EducationPlus Club at Dr. A.V. Baliga Institute of Social Sciences and Rural Management at Haradi in Udupi district.
In an atmosphere filled with enthusiasm and expectation among both students and teachers, Pro-Chancellor of Manipal University H.S. Ballal inaugurated The Hindu EducationPlus Club at the Dr. A.V. Baliga Institute of Social Sciences and Rural Management at Haradi near Brahmavar in Udupi district on October 27.
The club is a novel initiative by The Hindu to promote communicative English, group discussion and soft skills among college students, which would help increase their chances of getting employed.
In his inaugural speech, Prof. Ballal said that in the post-liberalised economic scenario in the country, employers in almost all the sectors were placing a premium on effective communicative abilities and soft skills in their prospective employees. “Mere possession of academic knowledge is not enough and students should go the extra mile to acquire soft skills. Overall development of personality of students is essential,” he said.
Vital qualification
Urging the students to learn English in a proper manner, Prof. Ballal said that vernacular languages played a vital role in a multi-lingual country such as India and they should be given importance. But in a globalised world, the importance of English language could not be exaggerated. Students should put in extra effort to learn English. “Besides, when it comes to higher education, knowledge of English becomes vital.”
Pointing at the increased scope of English language, he said that learning it would open more employment opportunities for the students not only in the country but also abroad. “A good command over the language is an added advantage.”
Prof. Ballal said students coming from a rural background in the country were at a distinct disadvantage when compared to their counterparts in the urban areas as they were not fluent in English. This hampered their communicative skills and consequently affected their progress in their jobs. Rural students were also not bold and assertive. “Students should always be bold and assertive. They should think out of the box,” he added.
In his presidential remarks, retired Director of Technical Education, Government of Karnataka, P.V. Bhandary, lauded The Hindu for launching the EducationPlus Club initiative in the State. These clubs would go a long way in helping the college students in acquiring the necessary soft skills, he said.
Principal of the Institute, Chandrashekhar Hebbar, and Moderator of EducationPlus Club at the institute, Naveen Kumar, were present on the occasion.
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