The former Union Minister and Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge has stressed on the need for centres of higher education and universities to attach more importance to improving the quality of education and research work.
He said it was important to achieve the twin objective of producing high-quality human resource to meet the challenges of future and achieving inclusive development of individuals.
Mr. Kharge was speaking after felicitating the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Karnataka H.M. Maheshwaraiah, Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University Jogan Shankar and Vice-Chancellor of Gulbarga University S.R. Niranjana at a function organised by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Employees Welfare Association on the main campus of Gulbarga University on Friday.
He said that universities should have a vision to achieve excellence through high-quality research and development activities, and establish collaborations with other universities both within and outside the country, to enable global interaction of students.
The universities should accelerate their academic activities by drawing adequate funds from the University Grants Commission and other State and Central government agencies to step up their research activities, Mr. Kharge said.
He said it was unfortunate that Central University of Karnataka could not use the sum of Rs. 100 crore sanctioned for infrastructure development on its new campus at Kadaganchi in Aland taluk in the district. The construction of all buildings on the new campus would have enabled the university to start all 49 departments sanctioned to it, and more number of students would have got admission in various courses offered by the varsity. At present only around 1,400 students are admitted in 16 departments in CUK. Mr. Kharge took exception to the inordinate delay on the part of the Union Labour Ministry to establish all the paramedical courses, dental, pharmacy and nursing colleges in the ESIC Medical Education Complex. Besides this, the Medical Council of India had denied permission to admit students in the MBBS courses offered in the ESIC Medical College this year. More than 2,000 meritorious students have been deprived of educational avenues, he said.
