Skill training, scholarships given to students: Minister

Minister for Higher Education M.C. Sudhakar said the government has given greater emphasis to providing employment-oriented education to students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

Speaking after participating in the 106th annual convocation of the University of Mysore at Crawford Hall here on January 5, the Minister said the government has entered into agreements with companies such as Infosys and Microsoft to provide skill-based training and help students secure employment.

Under the Azim Premji Programme, female students who have studied in government schools and colleges and are pursuing postgraduate studies in private or government colleges are being provided a scholarship of ₹30,000, he said.

Under the Manthan scheme, students and youth with new ideas who are interested in starting enterprises are being encouraged. Further, under the British Council’s Scout Programme, 30 students are being selected and sent to reputed universities in England for academic exchange programmes.

Dr. Sudhakar stated that students from foreign countries choose the University of Mysore for their higher education because of the institution’s high quality of education.

The Minister also said that the issue of providing pensions to retired employees of universities, including the University of Mysore, is being addressed by the government. He added that it is now focusing on bringing a permanent solution to complete pensions payments following a drop in revenue of the educational institutions.