Hon. Doctorates conferred on 3 eminent personalities

Mysore/Mysuru: Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar, who also serves as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Mysore (UoM), today expressed regret over the declining stature of the once-illustrious institution, observing that students today are increasingly looking to emulate Western Universities.

Speaking at the 106th Convocation of UoM this morning at Crawford Hall, Dr. Sudhakar said Mysore University was a “mother institution,” being the first University established in Karnataka and among the earliest in the country.

“In the past, countless students, academics and scholars followed the principles and ideals laid down by Mysore University. Sadly, its standards have now fallen, forcing both students and faculty to look elsewhere, particularly towards Western Universities,” he said.

Stating that the financial situation of the University had deteriorated sharply, the Minister said the institution does not have sufficient funds to pay pensions to retirees and salaries to thousands of lecturers and professors.  “The University requires about Rs. 154 crore every year to manage salaries and other expenses. The quality has declined and it is indeed a sad state of affairs,” he said, while adding that as Pro-Chancellor, he was not expected to speak in such harsh and negative terms.

Pinning the blame

Blaming the prevailing “system” and past “mismanagement” for the crisis, Dr. Sudhakar said the situation had now become extremely difficult to rectify. “This mess should have been addressed at the initial stage. Unfortunately, the deteriorating condition was ignored over the years and has now grown to gigantic proportions,” he observed.

The Minister said the State Government was making concerted efforts to strengthen the higher education sector by collaborating with reputed institutions, including Azim Premji University.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Chancellor of the University, presided over the Convocation ceremony, while former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr. S. Somanath, delivered the Convocation Address.

Honorary D.Litt degrees

Three eminent personalities were conferred with Honorary D.Litt degrees during the ceremony. They are noted film director and producer S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission Chairman Dr. T. Sham Bhatt and Global Education Trust Chairman P. Jayachandra Raju.

University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor Prof. N.K. Lokanath, Registrar M.K. Savitha, Registrar (Evaluation) Prof. N. Nagaraja and Finance Officer K.S. Rekha were present.

In all, 30,966 candidates received various degrees, with women topping the list at 18,612 graduates, compared to 12,354 men. Ph.D degrees were awarded to 449 candidates across disciplines, of whom 238 were men and 211 women.