BU, BCU clash over historic library

The turf war between Bangalore University (BU) and the Bangalore Central University (BCU) is continuing with the historical library in BCU campus becoming the latest flashpoint.

Despite numerous pleas from the BCU, the BU is reluctant to hand over the control of the library. The new books the BCU has bought are kept in the respective department for use by the students.

“We’ve no choice but to keep the books in the departments,” a BCU official told DH. “We can’t stack the library with new books. They’re holding on to this one despite having their own (library) in Jnana Bharathi campus.”

Indeed, the trifurcation agreement stipulates that the parent varsity, the BU, should hand over all the assets in central college campus to BCU. The older institution, however, is not making the process easier.

“We made several requests to BU officials but we’re unsure as to when they’d hand the library to us,” BCU Registrar Ramchandra Gowda said.

“We’ve new books to refresh the library’s stock and a lot more work needed to be done from our side after they hand control of the campus,” he added.

The Registrar has ordered for books in sociology, economics, Kannada and English having received complaints on scarcity of books in these departments, but storing them without access to the library will be a greatest challenge.

BU Vice-Chancellor Venugopal KR assured that the handover of the library would take place very soon. “We’ve to do that at any cost,” he said. “The process is on and we’re at it. I assure BCU that the process will take place as agreed.”