B'lore varsity firm on retaining Central College, JB campus

Bangalore University is firm in its demand of retaining the Central College campus, in the wake of the Cabinet approving the trifurcation of the varsity on Thursday.

Vice Chancellor B Thimme Gowda told Deccan Herald that the university had not been intimated about the government’s decision till Thursday evening.
“We have not been told about it. There are no details with us yet about how it will be trifurcated. However, we have insisted on retaining the Central College and Jnanabharathi campus with us. We want the Central Bangalore area under our jurisdiction. We have even written to the Higher Education Department about this,” Gowda added.

For most part, professors and students welcomed the government’s move. For professors, trifurcation would mean less burden of managing numerous colleges under the university. Students are hoping that the new universities would come up in rural areas which would help a large number of students.

Department of Education chairperson Umme Kulsum said this was a welcome move as they were currently overburdened with monitoring of too many colleges, as far as their department was concerned.

“We have about 68 colleges under the department now. An ideal number would be around 25-30 colleges. We have been unable to streamline the course because of this. Trifurcation would help us manage the course better.”

ABVP district unit organising secretary (Bengaluru north), Prashanth too welcomed the decision. “This is good. How many colleges can one VC inspect otherwise? Not only will the colleges be better managed, it will also ensure that we get our exam results on time,” said the student representative.

Further, Prashanth added that the government should ensure that the new universities are set up in rural areas to help students in those parts. Hoskote or Chikkaballapur would be ideal locations, he added.

'Ensure funds for varsities'
Trifurcation or bifurcation, these terms would mean nothing if the government failed to ensure adequate funds to the existing and the new universities being carved out of Bangalore University former vice-chancellor M S Thimmappa observed.

“What is the point in carving new universities without allotting funds?
If they (the government) are dividing the university, they have to make sure that they will be able to provide faculty and infrastructure without depriving the university of existing infrastructure.”

He also added that carving new universities would be completely waste of an effort if the new varsities too come up around Bengaluru.
“They have to think about rural students and set up the university in rural areas        to build access in these places.”