UGC staff college still a dream

As is so often the case, a change of guard or a shift in policy leaves several initiatives of previous regimes astray. The staff college complex with guest house facilities for teachers might well suffer on both the counts.

The foundation stone for the complex was laid almost in September 2008 by former Vice-Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Professor Mool Chand Sharma.

The Commission had sanctioned a total of Rs 75 lakh for the complex and has already released funds to the tune of Rs 30 lakh. While the work has not resumed since then, the ill-fated project has witnessed the appointments of two acting vice-chancellors, and one vice-chancellor at the Bangalore University (BU) and a new vice-chairman at the UGC.

The proposed complex was sanctioned with the purpose of providing residential facilities within the campus for teachers arriving from distant corners of the nation and the state for training at the academic college.

And now, both the fate of the complex and the public money that has been sanctioned for the purpose hangs in the balance on account of the impending trifurcation of the Bangalore University.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Vice-Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev said he was unaware of the  proposed project and will look into the matter.

However, Professor M S Talawar, Director of the UGC-Academic Staff College at Bangalore University revealed that the future of the project was uncertain due to the proposed trifurcation.

“Work has not yet commenced on the complex and now with the proposed trifurcation we are not quite sure where or when the complex will come up,” he said. Professor
Talawar added that when he spoke to the University engineer last time the project had not progressed beyond the tendering stage. He further revealed that with the current set-up at Central College, teachers who come for training are accommodated at nearby buildings such as the Shikshakara Sadan, Cauvery Bhavan and other government offices.

Talawar added that the project was sanctioned by the UGC as the Commission was increasingly trying to make all its training programmes residential in nature. Professor Talawar also indicated that the possibility of the college functioning out of its existing set-up was high even after trifurcation.