JOIN USWith an eye on whopping revenue generation, the BU, which has just one engineering college affiliated to it, has taken a leaf out of the book of the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) and the Karnataka State Women’s University (KSWU), by offering Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (B Tech) courses through distance learning.
The largest university in Karnataka has realised that a large number of students, especially in rural and semi-rural areas, aspire to study engineering through distance education. The desire is fuelled mainly by low fees and flexible mode of learning.
The potential has been successfully tapped by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) which offers technical as well as medical courses. KSOU and KSWU also offer BE/B Tech and M Tech courses. A number of colleges affiliated to these universities, too, have jumped on the bandwagon.
Apparently, the BU too wants to have a share in the pie. The varsity’s Academic Council, which met here on Monday, gave in-principle approval to the proposal. The courses will be targeted at students who cannot afford to study at regular colleges that charge hefty fees.
To begin with, the courses will be offered in civil and mechanical engineering—two streams which have been facing acute shortage of professionals as private colleges, especially in rural areas, have shunned them. The varsity will start the courses at top 50 colleges for four years, on an experimental basis. The programmes would be reviewed later. The BU says it will start the courses from the academic year 2011-12, if all approvals are in place in a month. It hopes to make a whopping Rs 100 crore in four years by offering the courses.
The blueprint for revenue generation from these courses is ready. Each college will admit at least 400 students. That is to say, 20,000 students will study at 50 colleges. The annual fee will be Rs 20,000 (IGNOU, KSOU, and other universities charge the same).
Thus, in the fourth year, the BU can make Rs 40 crore from first-year students, Rs 30 crore from the second-year students, Rs 20 crore from the third-year students, and Rs 10 crore from the final year students.
A few members of the Academic Council, however, were sceptical of the initiative.
They pointed out that the scarcity of qualified teachers in the colleges would create problems.
Students’ demand
Unless this was addressed, the scheme would not take off. Vice Chancellor N Prabhu Dev reiterated that the proposal was not aimed at making money. “We just want to fulfil the demand of a large number of students,” he said.
The courses will be offered in Bangalore University’s jurisdiction only.
All necessary approvals from the Distance Education Council (DEC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the Karnataka government will be obtained.