“Education Must Lead to Personality Development” – Fr. Dr. Praveen Martis

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Mangaluru “Education must lead to the development of personality,” said Fr. Dr. Praveen Martis, Vice-Chancellor of St. Aloysius (Deemed-to-be) University, Mangaluru. He was speaking at the inaugural session of ‘Shraddha 2025’, a postgraduate students’ seminar held at Ramakrishna Mission, Mangaluru, as part of the Amrit Mahotsav celebrations marking 75 years of the Mission’s service in the region.

Fr. Martis praised the consistent and commendable service of Ramakrishna Mission over the decades. He stated that Swami Vivekananda did not view education as mere acquisition of information but as a process of character-building. Education, he emphasized, should help shape an individual’s personality. He further added that whether through educational initiatives or community-oriented programs like Swachh Bharat, the Mangaluru Ramakrishna Mission has set a model for society. Real change, he noted, must begin in the minds of conscious citizens, and only then can education attain its true meaning. He expressed hope that the day’s event would inspire inner transformation and encouraged students to strive toward this goal.

The four-day event began with the first-day seminar held under the theme “Service – The Spirit of True Education,” commemorating Swami Vivekananda’s historic address at the 1893 Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. The event was held at the Swami Vivekananda Auditorium of Ramakrishna Math, Mangaluru. Mr. Ravichandra Nayak, Commissioner of Mangaluru City Corporation, participated as the chief guest, and Swami Jitakamanandaji, President of Ramakrishna Math, Mangaluru, presided over the event.

Following the inauguration, expert sessions and panel discussions were held. The first session was conducted by Swami Mahamedhanandaji, Director of the Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE), Mysuru. In the second session, Prof. K. Raghottama Rao, Director of Manas Training Centre, Bengaluru, addressed the students. A panel discussion on the topic “Education Beyond Degrees –Service, Skills, Values, and Vision for the Future” featured Swami Mahamedhanandaji, Dr. Shalini Aiyappa, Head of the Psychology Department at St. Aloysius College, and Mr. Yatheesh K. S., Managing Director of YatiCorp India Pvt. Ltd. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Ranjan Bellarpady, Chief Coordinator of the Swachh Mangaluru campaign. Captain Ganesh Karnik, retired Indian Army officer, delivered the welcome address, and Mr. Sachin Shetty Nallur, Director of Mangal Resource Management, proposed the vote of thanks. Mr. Abhishek Shetty compered the program.

Over 580 postgraduate students from 10 different colleges across Dakshina Kannada district participated in the seminar. The second day of the seminar series, titled ‘Medha 2025’, will be held on September 12, 2025, at the Swami Vivekananda Auditorium, Ramakrishna Math, Mangaluru, and will be exclusively for teachers and teacher trainees.