Daijiworld Media Network – (NR) 
 
Mangalore Dec 4: The Chemmanur Devassy Master Memorial - government pre-university vocational college for women at Balmatta, was inaugurated here on Monday Dec 3, by the chairman of the National Administrative Reforms Commission M. Veerappa Moily. On the occasion George Chemmanur, chairman of Chemmanur group donated Rs. 20 lakh for the project, built at a cost of Rs. 45 lakh. The building has been constructed with grants and donations from various sources. An additional fund of Rs. 10 lacs also has been assured for the purpose.
 
Delivering a speech after the inaugural ceremony Moily he said that if all goes well the state will commence vocational guidance education from the next academic year. He pointed out the country has been following a set pattern  of education  and it is high time that some changes are introduced in that, keeping in mind the changes in the market condition. In this context he said " What skills human resource need should be determined by the market."
 
According to him even the Planning Commission is mulling on spending six per cent of gross domestic product on education in the 11th Five Year Plan. In order to meet the growing demands of the contemporary world, he said there was a need to start market-driven courses and those giving thrust to vocational courses even in the universities, the centres of higher learning and research. 
 
Further he advised that academicians should usher in flexibility in curriculum to ensure that students were kept abreast of the developments in emerging fields and did not limit themselves to following a set pattern in education. The vocational courses would receive financial support from both the State and the Centre, he added.
 
The other speaker on the occasion was the Mangalore University vice-chancellor prof K M Kaveriappa who in his address stated that by making government sponsored education institutions stronger, the backward community students too can gain access to higher and quality education easily. He rued the fact that only about 7% of the population were able to go to universities even in the modern era, as most them were not able to afford  admission into private institutions, he added.

Chemmanur Charitable Trust chairman George Chemmanur was honoured for his contribution of Rs 20 lac to build the new college in his father's memory. Century Builders & Developers chief P Dayanand Pai announced on the occasion that he would donate Rs 10 lacs for further developmental works. Former MLA N Yogish Bhat presided. School Betterment Committee vice-president K Thejomaya, principal Shivananjappa were present.