The fate of the proposed D V G Bangalore North University, mooted to bifurcate the “unwieldy” Bangalore University, appears uncertain. On Friday, Governor and Chancellor of universities H R Bhardwaj categorically refused to approve its creation.
Lashing out at the previous BJP government which legislated to set up the new university in February, Bhardwaj questioned: “Why should Bangalore University be bifurcated? It is one of the most important universities in Karnataka alongside Mysore and Dharwad. I will not agree to this. I don’t understand the philosophy behind it.”
The BJP government in December appointed University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) principal K R Venugopal as the special officer for the new university. He submitted a report to the government. The Bill was passed and has been pending the Governor’s assent, since.
With its main campus in Hoskote, the new university is proposed to cover Bangalore North, Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddballapur taluks and the whole of Chikkballapur and Kolar districts. The premise for splitting the BU’s administrative burden of 665 colleges, by transferring 320 of them to a new university.
The Governor’s objection could be considered valid, as the University of Mumbai has 691 affiliated colleges and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has 656 affiliated colleges.
“We have to ensure that we retain whatever Karnataka has inherited. BU is doing well. Breaking it into two will divide resources and destroy its structure. I feel it is not in the interest of the university,’’ the Governor told reporters on the sidelines of the second annual convocation of Karnataka Sanskrit University at Jnana Jyothi auditorium on Friday.
He criticised the previous government for “only making legislations and doing little practical work.”
Bhardwaj cited the example of the Sanskrit University and said, “They don’t even have a place of their own for their convocation. Education has become directionless.”
No Need for KSHEC, says guv
Governor Bhardwaj came to the defence of former Tumkur University VC S C Sharma, who recently resigned as the vice-chairman of the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) against the backdrop of allegations of misuse of power. He said: “I know the work that he has done in Tumkur University and he was responsible for its growth.” Terming KSHEC a “controversial body” Bhardwaj felt there was no need for such a body. “Instead, the government can make use of the talent in our universities,” he added.
