Media Release
Mangaluru, Sep 13: The Manorama M Bhat Endowment Fund has been established in the name of the renowned Kannada writer and advocate for women’s causes, Manoramma M Bhat, by her sons, Jayaram Muliya and Mahesh Bhat Muliya. The fund aims to support female students pursuing a BA degree in Kannada literature. Its objective is to empower girls through education and nurture their interest in literature, fostering a progressive mindset. The endowment has been created with the hope that Manoramma M Bhat’s literary passion and ideological spirit will continue to inspire future generations of women.
The department of Kannada at St Aloysius Deemed to be University, which is one of the oldest centres for Kannada learning in the country with a history of 145 years, will administer the fund. The department was established by Manoramma M Bhat’s father-in-law, Muliya Thimmappayya, who was a professor there. The endowment will be awarded to two female students who are studying Kannada literature as an optional subject for their BA degree. The fund comprises Rs 60,000, which will be distributed in three equal instalments of Rs 20,000 per year over three years. Eligibility for the endowment will be based on the highest marks scored in the PUC Kannada language exam.
The first recipients of the Manoramma M Bhat Endowment Fund are Minaaz from Shimoga district and Shankrabai from Kalaburgi district, both first-year BA students pursuing a Kannada major at St Aloysius University. The selection was made by a four-member committee that included one of the fund’s founders, Mahesh M Bhat, along with the head of the department, Dr Mahalinga Bhat, and senior Kannada professors Dr Narasimha Murthy and Dr Vishwanatha Badikana.
Dr Praveen Martis, S J, vice chancellor, and Fr Melwyn Joseph Pinto, S J, pro chancellor and rector, expressed their appreciation for the initiative, noting that it will carry forward Manoramma M Bhat’s legacy in literature while empowering young women and nurturing their passion for Kannada language and culture.