Siddaramaiah told the Vice-Chancellors: Make graduates not superstitious, scientific in nature

Bengaluru (IANS). Karnataka Chief Minister Siddamayya on Monday asked the vice-chancellors of the state’s universities to equip graduates with scientific temper and rational thinking.

In a meeting with the vice-chancellors and senior officials of the higher education department, he said, “What is the use of ignorant, scientific temperament and rational-thinking graduates coming out of universities? Can they be useful for the country, state and society?

He said that universities should produce graduates who would lead the country in a scientific, intellectual, economic and civilized manner.

The Chief Minister said, “If they come out of universities full of ignorance, they will be of no use to the country, the state, or their own future.”

Vice Chancellors of 32 public universities and senior officials of the Higher Education Department participated in the meeting. The Karnataka state Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) is 36 percent, while the national GER is 27.4 percent.

It was also decided during the meeting to set a target of increasing GER to 50 per cent by 2030.

Male GER in Karnataka is 34.8 percent, female GER 37.2 percent, SC 25.6 percent and ST 23.4 percent.

About 1.31 lakh students study in 32 universities of Karnataka.

The Chief Minister directed to take necessary measures and increase research to increase the enrollment ratio of students and improve the quality of education in the districts of Chamarajanagar, Yadgiri, Hassan, Koppala, Kodagu etc. where the GER rate is low.

The Chief Minister also directed to improve the quality of education in the University of Mysore, which is the oldest and first university in the state.