Imphal, October 13 2010: Manipur University today conferred degrees to 214 students of different faculties and also presented gold medals to 66 students and cash awards to five others in its 12th Convocation held today at the Centenary hall.

Governor Gurbachan Jagat graced the convocation function as Chief Guest which was presided by Chancellor PN Srivastava.

Chief Minister O Ibobi, two MPs, T Meinya and Thangso Baite, MLA Dr Kh Loken, Vice-Chancellor C Amuba and Pro-VC HNK Sharma were also present on the dais.

Addressing the function, Governor, Gurbachan Jagat expressed concern over the "very poor amount of research work being done" in universities of the county and said "I have always wondered at the quantity and quality of research work being done in various universities, especially in the developed countries of the West and I have also failed to understand the reason for the very negligible amount of research work being done in our university (MU)" .

A look at the names of Nobel Prize winners in various disciplines shows that most of them are professors in universities who had done most of their research work in the university with the help of students, the Governor said asserting that University of Benkely had 32 Nobel Prize winners as faculty members.

He said that in the country there are very few examples of even University professors doing significant research work in their chosen fields.

The reason can be that adequate laboratory facilities are not available or that the education system does not encourage research activities by the faculty.

However, the general opinion is that it is primarily due to the lack of encouragement to think independently and chart new courses for themselves, he observed.

The government also expressed concern over the increasing number of graduates and post graduates in the country and said "the unlimited number of graduates and post graduates that we are producing in humanities in colleges spread all over the country is a matter of concern" .

Every new MLA, MP, minister, religious denomination wants to open a college in their areas and these colleges keep produce graduates in history, political science, sociology, language, etc.

and these graduates then clamour for government jobs because they are fit for nothing else.

They become parasites and have nothing to contribute to society, he said adding "We have to curb these tendencies to open new colleges and we have to encourage students to study science and mathematics which constitute the best road map for the future," Jagat said.

Delivering his speech as guest of honour, Chief Minister O Ibobi observed that in this advanced and competitive world, to achieve success in not an easy task.

But there will be always a place for those who work hard to achieve his or her ends.

Students should work hard and use their knowledge to extract the advantages ahead of them.

Only when they can take advantages, the fruit of their work will be realised, he told the students.

His government is working for a reform in the education sector in the state, Chief Minister said asserting that the introduction of the semester system in the college level is part of the reform steps being taken up by the government.

At first, the government was apprehensive of introducing the semester considering that it will involve huge additional funds as it required increasing the number of teaching and non-teaching staff in the colleges and expansion of laboratories.

But when translated into work the government has realized that it is to the betterment as it a proper discharge of duties by the teachers.

The state has enough well qualified teachers who are comparable with those at the national level.

The only thing needed was to garnertheir knowledge.

Government was ready to provide all requirements in the reformation of the education sector, he said.

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