Founders Day was celebrated in BLDE Society in Vijayapura on Monday. Speakers highlighted the contribution of the 113-year-old institution in the fields of education and healthcare.
Sri Prabhuchannabasava Swami of Motagi Mutt, said that the founders were influenced by the ideals of Sri Basaveshwara and other Sharanas and that the leaders who managed the society in later decades had carried on those ideals.
Visionary educationist F.G. Halakatti had founded the society to provide education to the students of the backward northern Karnataka region in 1910, during the British rule. He was guided by the ideals of the Sharanas. Later, donors like Bangaramma Sajjan, Sri Sangana Basava Shivayogi of Banthanal, and educationist B.M. Patil, led the society. Now, Minister M.B. Patil, aided by a team of administrators and teachers are leading the society and expanding and diversifying its activities, he said.
Apart from providing education from primary school to post graduation, the BLDE university also offers quality healthcare to the poor in northern Karnataka. The society has published the entire literature of Dr. Halakatti, M.M. Kalburgi and completed the translation of all Adilshahi era literature, the seer said.
Pro-chancellor Y.M. Jayaraj spoke of the history of the society and its colleges. He said that the society was striving hard to develop the campuses in Vijayapura and Jamakhandi. He said the administrators and teachers had functional autonomy in the institutions.
Sangu Sajjan, BLDE director, and other guests felicitated the teachers who had gained academic excellence through research, development and extension and rank winning students.
R.B. Kotnal, chief administrative officer, administrative officers B.R. Patil, A S Kalappanavar, S.H. Lagali, sports director S.S. Kori, registrar R.V. Kulkarni, and others were present.
