Bengaluru: Cardiologist-turned-politician Dr CN Manjunath, who represents Bangalore Rural constituency in Lok Sabha, Tuesday claimed allocation of funds for research activities in universities is the least in India compared to the rest of the world. “Research has taken a back seat because of paucity of funds in almost all universities,” the BJP MP alleged.Delivering the convocation address of Karnataka Sanskrit University at Jnanajyothi Auditorium, he said, “It is imperative on the part of both the state and University Grants Commission (UGC) to allocate sufficient funds for research. Without that, there is no progress, no innovation and no new thoughts. Research is the lifeline of discoveries and innovations, otherwise learning process will become stagnant.“Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot said Sanskrit is not just a language but the soul of India, forming the bedrock of the country’s civilisation, culture and philosophy. He said its structural precision makes it invaluable for artificial intelligence and data science.At the event, 917 students from 2023-24 and 2024-25 batches were conferred degrees, including Shastri (BA), Acharya (MA) and MSc in yoga and yoga therapy. Thirty-six students were awarded PhD degrees and 53 bagged gold medals.
