Moodbidire: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday inaugurated Alva’s Pragati 2025, a large-scale job fair held at Alva’s Education Foundation, and lauded the event as a progressive step towards aligning education with inclusive employment.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said, “When education fails to lead to employment, talent becomes a burden on society. Events like this not only provide opportunities but restore dignity to job seekers and empower them.” He praised the institution for its societal vision and for conducting the fair without commercial intent.

The event, in its latest edition, attracted 12,732 job seekers on the opening day, with 285 companies participating. Of these aspirants, 11,509 had registered online in advance, while 2,307 more registered at the venue.

Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Dr P.L. Dharma noted a shift in hiring trends, highlighting that employers today actively seek qualified candidates rather than waiting passively for applications. Former Minister Ramanath Rai unveiled an AI-based app designed to match candidates with suitable jobs based on their skills and qualifications.

Several coastal entrepreneurs—including Praveen Kumar Shetty, KS Sheikh Karnire, Ravish Kamath, Rohan Monteiro, and Suyog Shetty—were honoured for creating global employment ecosystems.

The programme was presided over by MLA Umanath Kotian and saw participation from political and academic dignitaries including Dr M Mohan Alva, Nalin Kumar Kateel, and MLC Bhoje Gowda.