The Hindu : Karnataka News : Govt. to seek HUDCO loan for construction of more colleges

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 22, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Govt. to seek HUDCO loan for construction of more colleges

By Our Staff Correspondent

UDUPI, SEPT. 21. The Higher Education Minister, D. Manjunath, today said the Government was planning to seek a loan from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) to construct more first grade colleges in the State. He was speaking after the inauguration of the Government Women's First Grade College here.

Mr. Manjunath said that the construction of many college buildings had been taken up with the help of an earlier loan from HUDCO. While some of the buildings had been completed, others had reached the halfway stage. It had become essential to complete these buildings.

The Government was giving more importance to primary education than higher education. In a recent meeting with the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Arjun Singh, he had requested the latter to release an equal amount of money for both the northern and the southern States.

Human resources

The Union Minister of State for Programme Implementation and Planning, Oscar Fernandes, who inaugurated the college, said that the Union Government was committed to the optimum development of human resources. Towards this end, the Centre had allotted 6 per cent of the GDP for education and 3 per cent for health. He had already announced Rs. 36 lakhs from his MP's Local Area Development Scheme for colleges in four categories excelling in education in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

`Infrastructure needed'

He said the State had appointed brilliant teachers to impart education. Only proper infrastructure required to be provided. The launch of the EDUSAT satellite would greatly benefit students. Only 7 per cent of the students were taking up higher education. It had become necessary to provide professional technical courses for students, so that they would get employment after the completion of their education, Mr. Fernandes said.

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