Government will merge new universities with their parent institutions: D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced on Thursday that the government would merge new universities - started when the BJP was in power - with their parent institutions amid a face-off with the Opposition in the assembly.

“We are just merging universities because they’re not viable,” Shivakumar, who heads a Cabinet sub-committee tasked with reviewing the status of public universities, said.

At least nine universities are under the government’s radar - Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Haveri, Kodagu, Koppal, Bagalkot, Maharani Cluster, Mandya and Nrupathunga.

“Lecturers aren’t willing to go to the new universities. We can only merge them. You (BJP) divide, we (Congress) unite. That’s the difference between you and us,” Shivakumar said during a debate on the motion of thanks to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s address.

Earlier during Question Hour, Jamkhandi BJP MLA Jagadeesh Shivayya Gudagunti asked the government not to shut down the Bagalkot University and pointed out that protests were on about this. The MLA said that the university is catering to poor students.

To this, Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar said there is no need for now. “There's no clarity in the Cabinet on what decision should be made,” he said.

“Old and new universities have various issues,” Sudhakar said. “In older universities, it has become difficult to even pay pensions,” he said.

The previous BJP government started seven universities with an allocation of just Rs 2 crore each, the minister said. “Several conditions were imposed - they couldn’t purchase vehicles or land and hire faculty members. The universities were set up saying they’ll be unique with digital learning,” he said. "For quality education, the BJP government should've filled up vacancies in universities," he added.

Accusing the Congress government of being “anti-education”, former higher education minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said the universities are essential.

“The gross enrollment ratio (GER) is 10-15 per cent and that’s why the universities are needed. Why has this government not given a single rupee to these universities?” he said. He pointed out that only Governor, as chancellor, could review universities as per law.

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said the government must change its outlook. “In foreign countries, the concept is to develop small, efficient universities, each one catering to about 7,000 students,” he said, adding that the University Grants Commission (UGC) had stipulated one university per district.

Shivakumar argued that a University of Mysore degree will not be the same as one from Chamarajanagar University.