Bengaluru: The prestigious National Law School of India University (NLSIU) is reportedly exerting pressure on Bangalore University (BU), seeking an additional five acres of land at the Jnanabharati campus.
Following the previous decision by the BU Syndicate not to allow space for new institutions or the extension of land allocations to the existing ones, the proposal from NLSIU has been rejected.
In response, NLSIU authorities are allegedly applying pressure on BU officials, with sources suggesting building of pressure from the chief minister's office and the higher education minister.
“In the past, we have turned down various requests, even from the Union government,” said a senior varsity official.
BU officials insisted that NLSIU has not fully utilised the allocated land. The official said: “They have not maximised the use of the provided land. Let them utilise it, and furthermore, there is no discernible benefit for Bangalore University students, not even access to the library.”
Of the total 1,210 acres, BU has already leased out 272.54 acres to 17 organisations, including NLSIU, NAAC, and Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics Bengaluru. About 236 acres are under litigation, with BU utilising 945 acres.
BU Vice-Chancellor Dr Jayakara SM confirmed receiving the proposal, but cited the Syndicate decision as the reason for its rejection, emphasising the university's stance against allocating additional land at the Jnanabharati campus.
The vice-chancellor of NLSIU was unavailable for comments.
Published 15 December 2023, 20:47 IST