BANGALORE: The State government’s plan to split the Bangalore University (BU) has received a much-needed fillip.
The Finance Department has okayed carving out three new universities.
A draft cabinet note (DCN) on the proposal of splitting Bangalore University stated that the Finance Department has given its concurrence to creation of three universities under two heads of accounts with an availability of Rs 45 crore.
A top official from the Department of Higher Education has confirmed this.
An expert committee comprising Manipal Global Education chairperson T V Mohandas Pai, former Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor N R Shetty and other academicians was constituted in January.
It recommended the creation of four new universities - Bangalore North University, Bangalore South University, Bangalore East University and Bangalore West University - with the existing Bangalore University functioning as a non-affiliating, unitary university focussing on research.
“The government should accept it now, with financial concurrence available for the three universities even though we had recommended creating four. For a start, we can have three universities,” said Shetty, a member of the expert committee.
The Finance Department has clarified that only those postgraduate departments that are in demand must be opened in the proposed universities.
“Excluding Rs 45 crore available under two heads of accounts and expected funds under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), no new additional costs can be borne,” the statement added.
An official involved in the process said it is estimated that each of the four new universities would require an investment of Rs 2 crore each. “The new universities are expected to generate internal revenues of Rs 17 crore from the examination and affiliation fees,” he added.The government has estimated that the creation of four universities would require Rs 50 crore.
It is also proposed to constitute a committee under the additional chief secretary to allocate human resources, infrastructure and the examination section of the existing Bangalore University to the four proposed universities.