BENGALURU: The state government, which succeeded in getting an IIT for Dharwad after a prolonged struggle, is now gearing up to ensure a ‘fair share of seats’ for Karnataka students. It is worried that only six students from Karnataka succeeded in getting seats in IIT Dharwad in its inaugural year. Higher Education minister Basavaraj Rayareddi said, “The state government has provided 470 acres of land for the IIT in Dharwad. But only six students from the state got the seats.
We will urge the Union government to allocate 25 per cent of seats for students from Karnataka in the coming years by amending the IIT Act.” For the first time in the country, 16 residential first grade (degree) colleges are being established in the state. The proposed colleges will start functioning from the coming academic year itself, Rayareddi announced. These colleges will offer BA, BCom and BSc courses. It will cost about Rs 25 crore each for the construction of these colleges. Most of these colleges will be opened in the backward districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Koppal and Ballari, the minister said. He further added, “The long pending demand for filling vacant posts of professors in aided private colleges is being fulfilled with the state government recently approving the proposal for recruitment of 1,500 professors. About 3,000 posts of professors are vacant in these colleges. A plan is being drafted for upgrading the infrastructure in government first grade colleges too.”