After a brief spell of sanity under governor T.N. Chaturvedi, the business of Universities awarding honorary doctorates has now reverted to the familiar, well-trodden cycle of rewarding sychophants, chamchas, ideological blood-brothers, drinking buddies and worse.
First, the Karnatak University in Dharwad ran afoul of the secular brigade when it decided to hand a D.Litt. to the editor of Vijaya Karnataka, Vishweshwar Bhat. After Transparency International got into the act raising serious questions, Bhat withdrew citing “personal reasons”.
Now, Tumkur University has decided that the man who runs the legendary Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR) restaurant, Sadanand Maiyya, deserves to have the “Dr” honorific attached to his name. For the record, Maiyya did not set up MTR, he inherited it. Although he played a key role in expanding MTR’s packaged food brands, he sold it to a Norwegian company in 2007.
Question: Doubtless, MTR is a fine restaurant and MTR products have earned the undying gratitude of homesick Kannadigas across the globe. But do Maiyya’s stellar achievements demand a doctorate? Is he the only homegrown entrepreneur who came to the University’s eye? Is running a restaurant of repute credentials enough? Is giving the doctorate to young, fresh faces a good idea or are we devaluing it beyond redemption?
is he the founder of MTR?
Money! Money! must be Funny!
In a rich man’s world – ABBA
MTR deserves it. But a doctorate can be given to an individual.
And, MTR deserves it for having done the impossible of maintaining quality and achieving growth. Few have done it in the food business. Not to forget the reasonable prices.
Following ‘ eminent personalities ‘ also deserve a doctorate!
1. G Janardhana Reddy – Nadoja of Hampi Kannada University
2. Katta Subramanya Naidu – VTU doctorate for his contribution to IT field
3. M P Renukacharya – Kuvempu University doctorate
Just pointing out an error. I should be ‘sycophants’ and not psychophants.
Huh! Another filler.
Sadananda Maiya does not run MTR restaurant, MTR’s family business has been partitioned as he didn’t want to share the pie.
He runs another MTR-like restaurant but without the crowd they claim called Maiya’s and he isn’t young.
HE Governor, a congress flunkey who pines once again for the glory period of his life — emergency when he and his gang wielded limitless power and authority, is acting the censor board by humiliating the govt. by refusing to honour Vishweshwara Bhat and Muddukrishna, former a Right leaning Brahmin editor and latter, a politically active ex-bureaucrat and scholar of Folklore Arts.
While BJP is trying to please its traditional votebank(brahmaNa, adoo editor of the daily which almost every one of the community subscribes to) and appease the hostile ones(vokkaliga), it is funny to see the governor, occupant of a constitutional seat who is supposed to be impartial, working hard to defeat these tactics of BJP to safeguard the voter base that his erstwhile party and its friends have cultivated for years.
Rajdeep Sardesai and Burkha Dutt can get padmas handed by a government – no one to oppose it; but a VB cannot get a doctorate by a university.
Nothing new about this. Every party/Govt. worth its name has done this before – ie ensuring its well-wishers/sympathisers get such honorific titles. So party with difference/party of differences too is following in the illustrious foot-steps of erstwhile Cong Govt.s. Just look across the border towards TN too and check how DMK/AIADMK have got these doctorates by the dozen for all their worthies.
I doubt any one cares any longer for such honorary doctorates. An honour or a title derives its value from the pool of the people on whom it’s conferred. Going by that criterion, these titles are already devalued. May be the name-plate writers care about it as they have to add Dr. to the name of the recipient.
Great men/women in case are always recognised by common folks – doctorate or no doctorate.
@NAWN …oh, a bomman , that too in press , forget it …
MTR restaurant is run by Hemamalini Maiya, and not this Maiya.
“the undying gratitude of homesick Kannadiga”
ahaa . would you have written the same about pizzas?? or even churumuri???
avakaashavaadi palaayanavaadiya videshi prema.
I don’t know what is there in giving english names . Doctor to a Butler.
Non sense. Can’t they introduce something like
asaamanya aduge bhatta
nalapaaka praveena
aduge kala vallabha
Doctor is a kind of racism treating them as highest honoraries.
he is not in hold of company i heard -then why now?
Nowadaya norway is involving itself in LTTE-Lankan mediation , waste management education in the subcontinent ; but still sometimes pump asbestos into indian ships.
the scandinavian civilization needs to be closely monitored – enadru mix maadi kotbitre!!!!
If a film actor deserves for entertaining people, then why make an issue about some other person if he has excelled in his chosen field ? If a Real estate tycoon deserves it why not a Journalist ? If a pontiff deserves it then why not a politician ? …..There appears to be no rhyme or logic in conferring Honorary Doctorates to these worthies !
The moot question should be whether Universities should be honouring all and sundry ? Does it in any way enhance the prestige of the Institution ? Is is consistent with the objective of the institution ? It is a reflection of the quality of VC’s appointed by the Chancellor and the methodology of their selection. Some of them cannot even speak coherently and cogently. Less said about the syndicate the better! Convocations in India are no longer relevant except draining the coffers.
For the record Sadananda no longer runs MTR Restaurant or MTR Foods ! He has founded Mayya’s – a new restaurant.
and one for Late Vishnuvardhan’s wife..from KSOU
hehe heege random aagi doctorates koDOd reminds me of one of a viDambane that we had done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ZAVigjOpc
Kodi. Adakkenante? Haage nangu ond kodi munde. Btw, did anyone watch this?
http://www.youtube.com/mindryin#p/a/f/0/TK9j1ry0Y3w
@DPS
“Following ‘ eminent personalities ‘ also deserve a doctorate!”
These self made gentlemen definetly deserve doctorates & other birudus.
whats wrong with it when Saif is getting Padmas. Your own employer is a perfect example for nepotism. IMHO even you can do a better job of anchoring Face the Nation.
@ Murthy….Hehehe That was real hilarious …..ur introductions of different awards!…
While I cannot comment about the merits of this particular case, IMHO that as a people we seem to hold professionals, sportsmen and businessmen to a higher standard compared to politicians, media persons and film actors. Recently there was also a big outcry raised about the army land scam, even as the legal process was underway. While such acts cannot be condoned, lesser eyebrows seem to be raised when politicians or actors are involved in similar incidents.
Random Says:
//and one for Late Vishnuvardhan’s wife..from KSOU//
That late Vishnuvardhan’s wife had already made her name by being the leading lady in all south Indian languages and also in Hind,. that too before Late Vishnuvardhan entering cine field. She is called Bharathi.
Yes babuds. I am surprised at the comment calling Bharathi as “Late Vishnuvardhan’s wife” even though it is true, Bharathi has her own place in cine field.
Of course , Bhat and Mayya both deserve Doctorates. People are against them just because they are “BRAHMINS”. If they are gowda or someone they would have got it much earlier!
We have in Mysore two premier food research institutes – Defence Food Research Laboratory, Siddarthanagar, Mysore and Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore – 570020. We have many eminent Scientists working in these institutions for many decades and many have been conferred Doctorates for their pioneering work ! Do you call them butlers or doctors ? How much of their work is known and is in public domain ? How much of their work is commercially and successfully adopted ? Then why grudge Mr. Mayya ?
Why not one for owner of Vidyarthi Bhavan?
Seriously, they should have given one for Salumarada Thimmakka for teaching one and all years ago the need for saving environment by planting saplings….
rajachandra,
On an unrelated note:
In western universities, research papers are generally published and available in various databases, which may or may not be available for free, but are definitely in the public domain (if you have access to the database) etc. Even students doing their bachelor’s degree are aware and capable of referring to these papers, articles and reviews (and generally very strict rules are enforced with respect to plagiarism without quoting the source etc.).
AFAIK there was no access to such databases nor was there a culture of referring to original work when I was in college (but then at that time our library didn’t even have internet so what they had was what we got).
Do you know if the databases of food related research institutes in India can be accessed externally easily?
I support mayya sir because he has saved our culture a nd our trasitional foods in the attack of pizzas burgers and mcdonalds if you live in abroad you will know the achviement of mtr.Now a days noboday pprfer to eat out desi foods but with the effort of mayya and mtr now everyone is aware and please read the samll colum he writing in vijayakarnataka”s lavlaike he gives very usefull tips about foods and his knowledge about food and its effect is amazing and he is also concerned about people health he deserves it.
MTR restaurant is run by Hemamalini Maiya. Sadananda Maiya does not run MTR restaurant; MTR’s family business has been partitioned as he didn’t want to share the pie.
He runs another MTR-like restaurant called as Maiyas, but without the crowd they claim and he isn’t young. BTW, MTR restaurant is run by Hemamalini Maiya.
The v.c of tumkur university is a brahmin, so he is conferring doctorates to well established influential brahmins to be associated with high class brahmins,