‘Institutions need to promote social justice’

Educational institutions need to create an inclusive environment to promote social justice as a step towards a fair and just society, said Supreme Court judge Mohan Shantanagoudar. Delivering the convocation address at the 67th annual convocation of Karnatak University, Dharwad, on Saturday, Mr. Shantanagoudar said that this was the need of an inclusive democracy. He said that inclusion is an issue of equity, human rights and socio-economic justice. “Since there is a gap between the latest knowledge on the subject and what is made available to the students, it is necessary for universities to tackle this problem immediately to bring the curricula for different subjects and courses of study up to date,” he said. “The present generation has the knowledge and resources to alleviate human suffering. We have the means of overcoming the curse of poverty, hunger and decease. We have the knowledge as to how we can arrest and even reverse the damage to environment. But if knowledge is not inspired by wisdom it can bring disaster,” he added. Mr. Shantanagoudar called upon fresh graduates to treat degree certificates not as passports to employment but as a testimony to their capacity to think independently and take initiative in various fields. “The parchments signifying educational attainments which are being presented today round off a period of preparation. The convocation is both a farewell as well as baptism,” he said. Minister for Higher Education Basavaraj Rayaraddi, who is also the Pro-Chancellor, presided over the programme and presented the gold medals and Ph.Ds. Poet V.C. Airsang was conferred an honorary doctorate on the occasion. Vice-Chancellor Pramod Gai welcomed the gathering. Registrar Mahadev N. Joshi, registrar (evaluation) N.Y. Mattihal and others were present. As many as 191 candidates shared gold medals at the convocation and 130 candidates were awarded Ph.D. degrees.