BENGALURU: Various student organisations have opposed the proposal to merge RC College of Commerce and Management and Government Arts and Science College into Dr Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University (BCU).
V N Rajshekar of All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) said, "The idea behind making these colleges into constituent colleges affiliated into different universities itself is too dangerous.
The state government pushes these universities to become financially stable and not to depend on the funds from the government. Therefore, the universities make these government colleges into constituent colleges and increase the fees for various courses."
Rajshekar gave previous examples of where the colleges were made constituent colleges affiliated to different universities and the fee is equivalent to those in private colleges.
"KCD Constituent College of Karnataka University has charged Rs 21,485 for Arts Rs 21,480 for Commerce and Rs 20,565 for BSc. However in Government First Grade College in Dharwad, it is Rs 3,000, 4,720 and 4,050 for BA, BCom and BSc respectively. Similar factors have repeated when Maharaja Constituent College and Yuvaraja Constituent College in Mysuru. The Universities keep saying that the fees for SC, ST students, female students and minority students gets reimbursed but it never gets reimbursed to these students."
Similarly, Kalyan Kumar, Secretary, All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) criticised this move by the government and have urged the immediate withdrawal of this proposal. "Increasing fee will lead to many students, especially girls from the economically weaker section, dropping out of higher education. Strengthening government colleges as a full-fledged Government Degree College, with adequate recruitment, transparent administration and improved facilities is the need of the hour rather than not merging them with universities."
Speaking to TNIE, B Ramesh, Vice-Chancellor of Dr Manmohan Singh BCU, said, "There is a proposal to make RC college and Government Arts and Science colleges as constituent colleges of our university. We are collecting data from both the colleges so that a positive report can be submitted to the Higher Education Minister."
However, he denied that fees would be increased for various courses once they are affiliated to BCU. "It is one of the biggest myths among people that fees will be increased for students. The existing fee will continue, and a majority of it will be reimbursed to the students. Infact, last year, RC college which has over 4,000 students studying has got a reimbursement of over one crore Rs. Once these colleges are affiliated to our university we can provide better facilities and additional courses and subjects can be offered."