BENGALURU: It looks like Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has completely ignored the higher education sector in his budget. Instead of strengthening the existing government-run universities, which are struggling to survive due to lack of financial assistance, the CM has announced setting up of three more universities in the state.
Though he said these new universities will be based on skill and will be separate from traditional higher education system, the kind of universities he is planning to set up — with private partnership — is drawing flak.
One such university announced is for Sports and Body building, which will come up in Tumakuru district. No fund has been set aside for this announcement and experts feel it is an unnecessary move. “I am in favour of the sports university as we need to encourage them, but do we really need a university for body building?” said one of the former Vice Chancellors.
Prof M S Thimmappa, former VC of Bangalore university, said, “About 50% of the sanctioned posts at existing universities are vacant and dying. The quality also isn’t good as they are depending on part-time faculties. With this, increasing number of universities are taking the quality of higher education down,” said Thimmappa.
Another university proposed in the budget is for Homeland and Security which will be dedicated to train security personnel who are working for government and private institutions. `3 crore is earmarked to set it up in Shivamogga in private partnership.
A Tourist university at Hampi with the allocation of `3 crore is also planned to mainly train tourist guides.
These initiatives been criticised saying to train tourist guides and security personnel, there is no need of a dedicated university and it can be started as a course in colleges or existing universities.