Conversion of CIIL into varsity creates anxiety in CESCK

The recent proposal of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to convert the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) into an university has created anxiety among the members of the Planning-cum-Monitoring Board (PMB) of Classical Languages, that the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada (CESCK) would become a part of the university.

Members of the PMB said that the MHRD has a proposal to convert CIIL into Bharathiya Bhasha Vishwavidyalaya (BBV) and establish Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI).

“The MHRD has formed a 11-member committee with Vice-Chancellor of National Sanskrit University, Tirupati, N Gopalaswamy as chairman to study and formulate the modalities and objectives. The cause for concern is the direction to study how the management of classical languages centres can be embedded into BBV,” they said.

PMB member R V Sundaram said that there is no clarity on embedding the management of the classical languages centres (Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odiya).

“We are not sure, if CESCK would become a department in BBV or if it would remain an autonomous body and support BBV. Our advise is to give autonomy to CESCK and to make an agreement on the land shared by University of Mysore (UoM) on its Manasagangotri campus,” he said.

Social activist Pa Mallesh said that the CESCK should function independently, on the four acre land of the UoM.

Writer Aravinda malagatti said, “The CESCK is trying to come out of CIIL campus and is moving towards autonomy. Now, any proposal to harm its autonomy is not acceptable.”