BENGALURU: The Legislative Assembly on Friday passed by voice vote the Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2015 that provides for trifurcation of Bangalore University. The Bill was tabled in the House by Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande.
Deshpande said the amendment has also been brought for changing the name of the University from ‘Bangalore University’ to ‘Bengaluru University’.
According to the Bill, Bangalore University will be trifurcated into Bengaluru University, Bengaluru Central University and Bengaluru North University.
The three universities have been formed based on geographical boundaries on the basis of Legislative Assembly constituencies.
Accordingly, Bengaluru University, with its campus at Jnana Bharathi, will have jurisdiction over the areas of Assembly constituencies of Vijayanagar, Padmanabha Nagar, Bommanahalli, Anekal, Bengaluru South, Yeshwantpur, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Dasarahalli, Mahalakshmi Layout and Govindaraja Nagar of Bengaluru Urban district, Nelamangala of Bengaluru Rural district, Magadi, Ramanagaram, Kanakapura and Channapatna of Ramanagaram district.
Bengaluru Central University will have its headquarters at Bengaluru Central College and have territorial jurisdiction over the constituencies of Shanthinagar, Byatarayanapura, Yelahanka, Malleswaram, Hebbal, Shivajinagar, Gandhinagar, Chamarajpet, Chickpet, Basavanagudi, BTM Layout, Jayanagar and Rajajinagar of Bengaluru Urban district.
Bengaluru North University, with its headquarters at Jangamakote in Sidlaghatta taluk, will have territorial jurisdiction over Srinivasapura, Mulbagal, Kolar Gold Fields, Bangarpet, Kolar, Malur of Kolar district, KR Puram, Pulakeshinagar, Sarvajna Nagar, CV Raman Nagar and Mahadevapura of Bengaluru Urban district, Gowribidanur, Bagepalli, Chikkaballapur, Sidlaghatta and Chintamani of Chikkaballapur district, Devanahalli, Doddballapur and Hoskote of Bengaluru Rural district. Former BJP ministers C T Ravi and Suresh Kumar opposed the division of universities on the geographical boundaries of Assembly constituencies. They wanted all the colleges in Bengaluru city retained under one university. Ravi wanted the universities named after eminent persons in various fields who have made the state proud.
However, Deshpande, piloting the Bill, defended the decision on naming of the universities. “We want to retain the advantage of Brand Bangalore for the benefit of students. Bengaluru has acquired global recognition in higher education and research. We want students to benefit from that,” he said.