Maharani, Mandya colleges to get varsity tag

The Centre has given its consent for upgrading Bengaluru’s Maharani’s Science College for Women, Maharani’s Arts, Commerce and Management College for Women, and VHD Central Institute of Home Sciences as a cluster university.

Also, Mandya Degree College, an autonomous institution, will be upgraded to a university.

This is a first of its kind move in Karnataka as far as government colleges are concerned. Higher Education Minister T B Jayachandra said while approving the State’s proposal to upgrade these institutions, Rs 55 crore has been sanctioned for each proposed university.

The same would be shared in 60:40 ratio between the Ministry of Human Resources Development and the State government, he added. The upgrading is being taken up under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) and it would be done in a phased manner, said Bharat Lal Meena, principle secretary, higher education department.

The minister said that cluster university is not connected with the trifurcation of the Bangalore University. The status of cluster university would be limited to only the member colleges. The university would have freedom to introduce new courses. In the upcoming Assembly session, legislations would be introduced to facilitate establishing the two universities. The higher education council has already given its consent, he added.

Jayachandra said the intention of increasing the number of universities is to make higher education available to more students. There are plans to upgrade more colleges to universities, he added.

Referring to the Mandya autonomous degree college, the minister said after the upgradation as university, no new college would be brought under its purview. The postgraduation centre of University of Mysore in Mandya will continue to function, he added.

Jayachandra said that a centre to impart education in space technology would be established at the VTU campus in Muddenahalli. The higher education department, which has prepared a model for promoting online education, will make a presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the State on Saturday and Sunday on the subject, he said.
DH News Service