BALLARI: The country’s second and state’s first School of Mining National College is likely to start its operations in Sandur taluk of Ballari district from the next academic year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to lay the foundation stone for the school in February.
Minister for Mines and Geology Halappa Achar told The New Indian Express that he is proud that the country’s only second mining national college is coming up in Sandur. “It is the perfect place as it is rich in mining. I hope the construction of the college will start soon.”
Sandur is one of the largest mining areas in the country and companies like JSW and NMDC are situated here. The first mining national college, Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University (BBMKU), is situated at Dhanbad in Jharkhand.
A district senior officer said the university in Dhanbad has over 3,000 students. “It is a technical course and is similar to engineering fields like mechanical, electrical, and civil. In Karnataka, students who have written CET after their PU exams will be eligible for the course. It is a vast branch of engineering,” he added.
Rs 200 crore earmarked for mining school
“Talks are on with Central and state government officials. Earlier, we had planned to start the college on the premises of Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Ballari. But later, it was decided that the premises of a universityaffiliated college in Sandur will be used,” the officer added.
Another officer said the District Mineral Foundation is spending Rs 200 crore to construct the college. “It will have 300 staff, both teaching and non-teaching. The course will help students study about the mining industry and conduct research. In the coming days, students can also take up MTech and PhD here,” he added.