The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 300 BU colleges to come under new university

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Saturday, Dec 11, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

300 BU colleges to come under new university

Laiqh A. Khan

BU administration under strain: Acharya

The administrative and teaching staff have to manage two lakh students
However, there has been opposition to the move from some academics

BANGALORE: More than 300 colleges under Bangalore University will be affiliated to a proposed university in the next academic year, according to Higher Education Minister V.S. Acharya.

With almost 650 colleges spread across the districts of Kolar, Chic-kaballapur and Ramanagaram, besides Bangalore Rural, Urban and city under its purview at present, Bangalore University's administration had come under a strain, he said.

The administrative and teaching staff of the university have their hands full throughout the year, conducting examinations, evaluating answer scripts and declaring the results before carrying out fresh examinations for an estimated two lakh students.

“The time has come to bifurcate Bangalore University. We will split the university into two along geographic lines by retaining colleges located within Bangalore city limits with the existing university and off-loading the remaining to the proposed university,” Mr. Acharya told The Hindu.

The bifurcation is expected to come about in the next six months, in time for the coming academic year.

While colleges in Chickaballapur and Kolar districts will be transferred to the proposed university, a few colleges near Tumkur will be affiliated to Tumkur University.

The Higher Education Department, in consultation with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, has taken a decision to split Bangalore University, which has the highest number of colleges affiliated to it in the State.

A committee comprising members of Higher Education Council has been constituted in this connection and the exercise is expected to be completed in the next six months by the time the academic year 2011-12 commences.

Bangalore University is being split for the second time in the last six years.

During 2004, the Government bifurcated the university by establishing Tumkur University.

“We had to off-load some colleges from Bangalore University by creating Tumkur University a few years ago. Now, we will have further off-loading,” Mr. Acharya said.

Opposition

Sources in the Higher Education Department said bifurcation is expected to retain colleges not only in Bangalore city but also on its periphery with the existing Bangalore University.

Colleges in Chikkaballapur and Kolar region may be brought under the ambit of the proposed university, which is mostly likely to be set up in Kolar, where a Post-Graduate Centre exists.

A section of Bangalore University academics, including Vice-Chancellor N. Prabhu Dev, are understood to have opposed the move to split the university.

They have cited the “failure” of 125 colleges of the university to admit even a single student during the academic year to reinforce their argument that many among the 650 colleges exist only on paper.

In addition, another 30 colleges had enrolled only one student each.

Dr. Prabhu Dev had opposed any move to split the university when the N. Rudraiah Committeesubmitted a report to the State Government recommending trifurcation of the university about a year ago.

“He is not happy with the move to bifurcate the university. However, the Chief Minister has cleared the decision by asking the authorities to go ahead with it if it is for the good of Bangalore University,” the sources said.

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