Experts for sharing UVCE among BU and BCU

It so appears that the trifurcation of the Bangalore University is going to end up splitting the century-old University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE).

An expert committee constituted by the state higher education department to study and submit a report on the ownership of the UVCE has recommended splitting the college and sharing it among the Bengaluru Central University (BCU) and Bangalore University (BU).

A source at the state higher education department said the committee headed by former chief secretary S V Ranganath has submitted the report to the department on Friday recommending the bifurcation by dividing UVCE departments among the two varsities.

The committee has recommended transferring UVCE faculties at its KR circle campus to the BCU based on jurisdiction and the courses at Jnana Bharati campus to the BU, the source added.

However, it suggested that for the next four years, the examinations, evaluation and issuing of degree certificates, would be done by the BU. There are four departments at the UVCE campus in KR circle and two at Jnana Bharati.

Meanwhile, there is no mention of who takes care of the admissions for the current academic year. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has already started the process of filling the engineering seats. “Regarding this, the government has to issue a notification,” the source clarified.

The committee is of the view that the UVCE be declared an independent college like the College of Engineering, Pune, an autonomous college of the Maharashtra government, where a board of governors are appointed for administration. “It is left to the government when to declare it an independent college. The committee recommended to do it in line with the College of Engineering, Pune,” the source revealed.

The students, staff and other stakeholders of the UVCE are upset with the recommendations. “How can the expert committee divide departments between two varsities? This is not acceptable,” said a student.

“The college should remain either with the BCU or BU. What is the logic behind this?” questioned a senior faculty.

The committee was constituted following the ongoing rift between the BU and BCU over the ownership of UVCE.