BANGALORE: Principal Secretary for Higher Education H Siddaiah has clarified that the proposal to divide Bangalore University is ‘very much alive’ and that the state government was looking into various recommendations made by the Karnataka State Higher Education Council and the committee headed by former Gulbarga University Vice-Chancellor Prof N Rudraiah.
Quashing the notion that the demise of Higher Education minister V S Acharya, who had taken a keen interest in the matter, has put the proposal on hold, Siddaiah told Express, “The proposal for division of Bangalore University is very much alive. We (government) have received the formal recommendations of both committees.”
“Rudraiah’s committee has recommended trifurcation, while the KSHEC has recommended bifurcation. The government is scrutinizing both options. The demise of the minister has not affected the proposal,” he said.
Sources said that the government was inclined towards the bifurcation model recommended by KSHEC committee, which was headed by Prof K Narahari. His report suggested that BU should be divided into two parts - Bangalore South University and Bangalore North University.
According to the report, Bangalore South University, with Jnana Bharathi as the centre, should cover 290 colleges in Ramanagaram, Bangalore (South) and Anekal. On the other hand, Bangalore North University, with Central College as the centre, would cover 320 colleges in K R Puram, Chikballapur and Kolar districts.