JOIN USThe Minister announced the decision on Tuesday following a review meeting with officials of all universities under the Higher Education department.
“I have tasked the Karnataka State Council for Higher Education to work with vice-chancellors of all universities and produce the academic calendar before December 31,” he said.
The State Council for Higher Education (SCHE) would also look into approval of statutes that have been pending with the government for several years. Statutes have been a bother for many recently formed universities, preventing them from recruiting people to teaching and non-teaching posts. Many universities including Visvesvaraya Technological University have not been able to recruit a single staff member on permanent basis since it has been set up.
The Minister has given the SCHE six months to draw up a framework for the functioning of the Council. While Acharya will chair the Council, Tumkur University VC S C Sharma has been appointed Vice-Chairman and former Mangalore University VC K M Kaveriappa has been appointed Executive Director.
Acharya also announced the appointment of ten educationists to the State Council for Higher Education. The names include: Dr S Bisaliah (former UAS Bangalore VC), Dr P Venkataramaiah (former Kuvempu University VC), Dr Sudha S (retired principal, Maharani Science College, Mysore), Dr M D Muthaiah (retired College Education Commissioner), K Narahari (retired professor, BMS College of Engineering), Dr RLM Patil (retired professor, Bangalore University), poet K S Nissar Ahmed, Dr N R Srinivasa Raghavan (retired professor, IISc), Dr V Vijaykumar (former registrar, NLSIU), and Dr K Chidananda Gowda (former Kuvempu University VC)
Financial woes
On the financial situation of universities, Acharya said he would ask the SCHE to provide the government with recommendations. The Karnataka Knowledge Commission too is currently conducting a study on the financial situation of universities across the State.
The study would be used by the SCHE to come up with recommendations. Many universities at the review meeting requested immediate assistance from the government to shore up their finances following the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission.
Acharya also announced that tamper-proof certificates with holograms would be issued by all universities across the State. On the bifurcation of Bangalore University, the Minister said the decision is pending following concerns about whether the University would still retain its ‘A’ grade certification following a split.