Mangaluru: The state government, in an effort to increase the gross enrolment ratio to 40 percent, will start government higher education residential colleges in each district of the state, the Karnataka Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy said on October 21.
Speaking after inaugurating various developmental programmes at Dr. P Dayanda Pai-P Sathish Pai Government First Grade College here, he said that presently, the literacy rate of Karnataka was 76 percent while the gross enrolment ratio for higher education was 28 percent.
He explained that the goal of the government was to increase the gross enrolment ratio for higher education to 40 percent within five years. “Hence, government will start residential higher education colleges in all the districts of the state in the coming days,” he added.
Rayareddy also said that the government had prepared a report estimating a cost of Rs 5000 Crore for various facilities and faculty recruitment for the first grade government colleges and universities in the state. He stated that the estimation cost report would be tabled in the forthcoming budget.
He also went on to state that for the first time, Siddaramaiah’s government, without any corruption, had appointed 3000 assistant professors for the government colleges.
“The government is also aiming to provide free education to girls from primary till post graduation”, he added.
“Over 36000 SC/ST students of higher education will get free laptops from the government. CM Siddaramaiah will launch this programme on November 18 in Davanagere”, he said.
He added that the government would treat all classes of people equally and by January it would provide free laptops to 1678 students of higher education (first degree) in the state.”
“The state government has decided to start a Skill Development University in the state under the PPP model in collaboration with the TATA. There currently is a Skill development Centre in Dandeli and the government has sanctioned Rs 60 Crore to start more of such centres in Koppala and Mysuru”, he added.
“After the University Grants Commission (UGC) de-recognised the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), students who had written exams in the academic year 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 are facing trouble. In fact, I have met the Union Minister of Human Resources Development Prakash Javadekar and though the CM has written a letter to Prime Minister Modi, the problem has not yet been resolved. It is because of the past irregularities in the KSOU that the UGC has de-recognised it”, the minister said.
During his speech at the event, industrialist Dr. Dayanda Pai said that education and talent were not patented for the rich. Being born poor is not a crime but having no aim is a crime, he added. He also assured that he would support the college in providing various facilities.
State minster U T Khader, MLA J R Lobo, MCC Mayor Kavitha Sanil, MLC Ganesh Karnik, former MLA Yogish Bhat, P Sathish Pai and others were present.
