Cabinet committee to study division of BU

 The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to constitute a sub-committee headed by Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande to study and make recommendations on splitting Bangalore University into multiple universities.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said it had become inevitable to split Bangalore University as it had 600 constituent colleges and 3.5 lakh students and the number was way too high for efficient administration.

“The sub-committee will decide whether Bangalore University should be bifurcated, trifurcated or split into more universities,” Jayachandra said.

The then governor H R Bhardwaj had even rejected a bill drafted by the previous BJP government to bifurcate Bangalore University and set up a  new university - DVG Jnanavahini University - with its headquarters in Hoskote. Bhardwaj had stated that the move would destroy Bangalore university’s structure and divide its resources. However, the present government has been insistent on splitting Bangalore University.

At least three reports have been placed before the government on splitting Bangalore University. A committee headed by K R Venugopal, principal, University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, has recommended that the university be split into five universities.

A committee headed by former vice-chancellor Dr N Rudraiah has recommended that the university be trifurcated. A committee headed by former MLC Narahari has recommended bifurcation.

The Cabinet also decided to allot 36.36 acres in Raichur at 50 per cent of the guidance value to Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashram to run its academic institutions.

Funds for electronics

In another decision, the Cabinet approved allocation of 26.72 crore for purchasing total station theodolite which are electronic / optical instruments used in modern surveying and building construction.

Jayachandra said the Cabinet approved allocation of 26 acre at Shidlaghatta in Chikkaballapur district for construction of a campus for Indo-Tibetan Border Police.