Women's university may start PG centres in its colleges

Varsity plans to hike intake to accommodate more students

 The opportunity for admissions to higher education courses for female students in the State would go up with the government extending the jurisdiction of the Karnataka State Women's University, Vijayapura.

The university is likely to start post graduation centres in its affiliated government colleges that have adequate infrastructure for the same. These centres will give exclusive opportunity for women for admissions to post graduate courses. At a meeting of the university on Wednesday, it was decided to take up a survey to identify the colleges suitable for this proposal.

A total of 16 government colleges are affiliated to the women’s university, which was established 12 years ago. Its jurisdiction was limited to 13 districts in north Karnataka. With the passing of the Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2014, as many as 21 more government colleges will be brought under its fold.

The Bill (passed in the Assembly on February 9) seeks to extend the jurisdiction of the varsity to the entire State. Henceforth, all government colleges for women will come under this university. As for aided and unaided colleges, they have been given six months’ time to decide whether or not they want to affiliate with the university.

Not just this, the move could overall widen the opportunities for admissions to women. The university plans to increase intake across courses to accommodate students from the newly affiliated colleges.

As the university gives preference to its affiliated institutions during admissions for post graduate courses, students in the affiliated colleges would have the added advantage of applying in a university exclusively created for women.

The low fees and the flexible programmes that allow women to rejoin the courses they had discontinued earlier, by carrying forward the credits earned previously -  are the other factors that would benefit women aspiring for higher education. “Not just this, women would have better opportunity to represent in State and national level sports activities
if they are associated with
an exclusive women’s varsity,”
said Karnataka State
Women's  University VC Meena Rajiv Chandawarkar.
New courses at PG centre
At the meeting on Wednesday, the focus was on strengthening the university’s PG centre in Mandya. The meeting was attended by deans and professors of various departments. The Mandya centre is offering five PG programme at present.

A survey would be taken up to identify courses in demand at the existing PG centre in Mandya. In June 2013, Rs 30 crore was allocated for the university to set up an extension centre.

While it is not mandatory for aided and unaided institutions to affiliate themselves with the university, the latter, on its part, would make sure that the migration is worth the effort for these institutions, the Vice Chancellor added.

“If the institutions have to choose to affiliate with us, they should have some benefits from it. We have to plan the courses and the intake keeping this in mind,” the V-C added.

In 2003, there were only 29 women’s colleges across the 13 districts in north Karnataka. Now, there are 128 women’s colleges. This shows the potential for these colleges, Chandawarkar observed. The VC said she had prepared a roadmap for the university for the next 10 years.

“We want to make it a model university where research is encouraged. We will innovate and create more job-oriented courses.” In an effort to facilitate women’s empowerment, the university also has compulsory course on feminist jurisprudence, women’s health and personality development.