1.6 lakh girl students enroll under ‘Deepika’ scheme, says Higher Education Minister

Minister for Higher Education M. C. Sudhakar said on Friday that 1.6 lakh girl students have registered under ‘Deepika’ scheme launched by the State government in partnership with Azim Premji Foundation, to motivate students to pursue higher education.

Speaking at the graduation day ceremony of Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College (autonomous) in Ujire, the minister said that, under the scheme, girl students who have completed education up to Class 10 and second year Pre University in government institutions, receive an annual scholarship of ₹ 30,000 for up to three years to pursue higher education.

“The scheme is proof that the private sector can play a transformative role in responding to the government’s social development objectives,” he said, commending the commitment of the Foundation.

The minister said with significant opportunities arising from collaboration between government and private sectors, there has been a notable increase in the proportion of female students pursuing and completing higher education.

Dr. Sudhakar said the State government is giving top priority to strengthen knowledge and skill-based technical education that is relevant to all industrial sectors. It is actively working to empower the youth workforce to meet the expectations of various sectors.

Efforts are being made to redesign sector-specific skill learning methods, keeping in mind the expectations and priorities of both traditional and emerging industries.

He said Karnataka has more than 66 higher education institutions per lakh population — well above the required benchmark. This achievement has been possible due to the encouragement given to the private sector alongside government institutions.

The minister said when compared to other districts in the State, education institutes in Dakshina Kannada, including SDM group of institutes, have quality of excellence.

Agricultural college proposed

D. Veerendra Heggade, President of SDM Educational Institutions and Rajya Sabha Member said that the SDM Group is planning to open an agricultural college.

After graduation, students should develop strong determination and ambition to contribute to nation-building, he said.

People from Andaman and Nicobar islands, other states of the country, and various parts of Karnataka are coming to Ujire to pursue higher education through SDM institutions. Keeping these aspirations in mind, SDM has always prioritised introducing new courses, he said.

K.R. Kavitha, Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Mangaluru Region, administered the oath to the graduates.