MANGALORE: A strong regional flavour across genres of literature marks the selection of Kannada textbooks for the first year degree students of Mangalore University for the academic year 2013-14. The 11 textbooks brought out by Prasaranga (publication division) of the university under Mangala Textbook series see continuation of the process started in 2002 from when the department of Kannada of the university compiles, edits and brings out textbooks.
These 11 textbooks take the total number of textbooks brought out by the Prasaranga to 55. In the initial days of its formation, the university depended on the textbooks prescribed and published by the publication divisions of other universities and by private publishers.
This practice changed in 1992 under the board of studies of Kannada headed by BA Viveka Rai when the Nadugannada Kavya Sankalana was brought out. Nothing much happened for a decade after that.
The practice was revived under Rai’s directions when five textbooks were brought out from 2002 to 2005. The batton passed on to K Chinnappa Gowda in 2006, a year that the university embraced the semester system. While 10 textbooks were brought out in 2006, seven came out in 2007, 11 in 2011, and 8 in 2012. These 11 textbooks were compiled and brought out by the board of studies chaired by K Abhaya Kumar, faculty of the Kannada department.
The academic council at its first special meeting for current academic year approved the publication of the textbooks. Vice-chancellor TC Shivashankara Murthy who chaired the meeting said students will use these textbooks for the first and second semesters depending on the course they are studying.
Abhaya Kumar added the next board of studies will compile textbooks for the third and fourth semesters and the text books have a balance of poetry, drama and prose compilations.
Students of optional Kannada will have to deal with only one textbook. All these textbooks together have around 96 poems, 72 pieces of prose and six dramas. The text books have been graded in ascending order of difficulty on the one hand, while facilitating its easy assimilation on the other. The regional disparities within the university’s jurisdiction has been kept in mind while selecting the tex books and are named after senior poets of the region, VC said.
Textbook poets name
Beru Balli Kadangodlu Shankar Bhat (Poetry and drama compilation)
Sobagina Balli Muliya Thimappaya (Prose compilation)
Kendavare Gopalakrishna Adiga (Poetry and drama compilation)
Sura Honne S V Parameshwara Bhatta (Poetry compilation)
Gilivindu M Govinda Pai (Poetry and drama compilation)
Nudivani Kolamba Puttanna Gowda (Prose compilation)
Aikya Gaana Kayyara Kinhana Rai (Poetry and drama compilation)
Thenkana Gaali Panje Mangesh Rao (Prose compilation)
Kaveri Bharathi Sutha (Poetry and drama compilation)
Huttari I Mu Mutthanna (Prose compilation)
Lokadeepa Sediyapu Krishna Bhat (Prose, poetry and drama compilation)
