Mangaluru: Krishna J Palemar, Chairman of Vikas Group and former minister has informed that in a first of its kind initiative in the entire world, Vikas Group has planned to introduce a one year Diploma Program in Hostel Management.

Speaking to reporters here on October 1, Monday, Palemar said the one year Diploma Program in Hostel Management including internship will have compulsory as well as optional subjects wherein candidates will be trained in management of hostels for boys and girls at post graduate, undergraduate and primary school levels.

While planning to offer this course, Vikas Group has kept in mind the fact that those appointed as wardens in hostels have until now never undergone any training in hostel management as well as the ways to deal with students who are away from their homes and face teenage issues including depression, fear of failures etc, Palemar said.

“The move has also come in the backdrop of an alarming trend in the number of suicides among youngsters and the problem of drug abuse, social media addiction as well as an addiction of viewing sexually explicit contents online,” he informed.

Palemar said that the Vikas Group recommends the government to create unique IDs for wardens in order to facilitate job openings and transfers and also to create a warden database of the state/country. The Vikas Group also plans to hold regular orientation camps to improve the overall efficiency of wardens and will host Conclave of wardens at state and national level, he added.

“Vikas Group appeals to the State Governor Honorable Vaju Bhai Vala, Chief Minister Sri H.D. Kumaraswamy as well as the Education Minister to take the initiative in introducing such Diploma Program in every district of the state. Vikas also plans to offer training to the trainers to conduct this Diploma programme in other parts of the state and country,” Palemar informed.

Dr. Ananth Prabhu G, Director, Vikas Edu Solutions, Dr. Shivakumar Magada, Professor of Aquatic Biology, College of Fisheries Mangalore and Dr. Manjula Rao, Counsellor and Dean, Vikas Group of Institutions.