Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that education was necessary for promoting rational and scientific thinking in society and it was an instrument to engineer social change.
He was speaking during the 20th conference of the Senior Students Association of Yuvaraja’s College in Mysuru on Monday.
Underlining the importance of education to fight the scourge of caste system Siddaramaiah said that there was social and economic inequality due to the caste stratification and should be corrected through education.
For generations, the backward and the so-called lower caste and women were denied education as a result of which they were deprived of opportunities and education was the panacea for it and can bring about the change, he added.
He said no progress was possible if the society was static and not dynamic and education could usher in the dynamism required for social progress and economic growth. Mr. Siddaramaiah said he was not against any caste but was for promoting social justice and equality of all. Quoting poet laureate Kuvempu Mr. Siddaramaiah said at birth a child is ‘’vishwamanava’’ or a universal human but as it grows it turns into ‘’alpamanava’’ or harbours petty views.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the objective of receiving education should be to broaden one’s views and become global in outlook and the education system should strive to empower the underprivileged.
Recalling the contributions of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar to the development of Mysuru, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that it was unique. ‘’A century has passed since the establishment of the University of Mysore. Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is responsible for the all-round development of Mysuru in the field of education, industry, art, literature and culture,” said Mr. Siddaramaiah. He also lauded the contributions of Diwans like Sir Mirza Ismail and Sir M. Visvesvaraya.
