Kuvempu varsity VC flayed over BEd syllabus

JD (S) MLA, Y S V Datta, on Tuesday slammed Kuvempu University and its vice-chancellor Jogan Shankar for his ‘autocratic’ approach towards preparing the BEd syllabus.

Participating in the budget discussion in the Legislative Assembly, Datta, highlighting the various lacunae in the higher education sector, brought to the fore the varsity’s stand on the format of BEd syllabus.

He said the future of 1,400 students studying in the varsity was at stake, owing to the confusion over syllabus.

“When all the universities have accepted the common curriculum drafted by the E R Ekbote Committee, which was set up by the Higher Education Council, the vice chancellor of Kuvempu University has written a letter to nobody in particular stating that it would follow its own syllabus. Such is the arrogance of the vice chancellor that he has thrown the committee’s recommendation into the dustbin,” he added.

Submitting a letter written by the students to him, along with the vice-chancellor’s letter to Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, Datta said the students were a worried lot.

In their letter, they have stated that despite making several appeals and even staging protests, the varsity had remained obstinate.

Students appeal to CM
The students have also appealed to the chief minister and the higher education minister. Datta demanded that the government immediately look into the matter.
Prof Shankar’s letter dated March 16 reads: “To whomsoever it may concern. The varsity does not agree to the report submitted by the Ekbote Committee constituted by the Karnataka State Higher Education Council to prepare the syllabus for the two-year BEd programme. The syllabus prepared by the varsity in accordance with Sections 31 and 33 of the Karnataka State University Act 2000 and the National Council for Teacher Education guidelines is accurate and in the best interest of the students. It does not need any changes. The varsity is committed to teaching the said syllabus to its students.”