Merging of universities: Voices urging to reconsider decision get louder

Mysuru: The merger of universities with their parent universities, has triggered uproar across the districts in the Mysuru region. While the activists urge the state government to revise the decision, some said that establishing small and ill-equipped universities will harm the students and damage the reputation of the universities.

Meanwhile, the government is all set to establish an Agriculture University in Mandya district, that has equally drawn flak from various quarters.

Protests erupted across the Mysuru region, opposing the government for merging the universities, claiming that it would affect scores of students in the colleges affiliated to the universities. 

Meanwhile, it took a political turn, with the Opposition parties criticising the state government, for its move, involving the future of the students. Mandya District In-charge Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy defended it, saying that the financial crunch is one of the main reasons for merger. The UGC is not providing grants. There is no provision of funds from the state government, he explained.

While Mandya University has 48 colleges, Hassan University has 55 colleges and Chamarajanagar 20 colleges under them. The colleges, which were earlier affiliated to the University of Mysore (UoM) earlier, were affiliated to the newly formed universities at the district-level in the year 2021-22. 

With the merger of three universities with the UoM, there will be an increase in admissions and also improvement in its financial condition, it is said.

'Negative impact'

Activists claim that the decision will have a negative impact on the students, importantly on girl students. Chamarajanagar, which is a backward district, also has a low admission ratio. If Chamarajanagar University is merged with the UoM, it would become a challenge for the girl students to leave their district to pursue their studies elsewhere. The government should continue with the university, they said.

According to Padma Shri awardee J A K Tareen, former VC of Kashmir University, Pondicherry Central University and member of UGC, “The government’s decision of merger of nine universities with the parent universities has triggered an agitation by local students and also political outfits. Higher Education is tossed to the whims and fancies of political leadership, more to the appeasement of their respective constituencies, without understanding the principles underlying the establishment of university and university education.”

He said, "Although it is understandable that the youth, especially girls, need access to college education in close proximity, the issue must be addressed with the establishment of more undergraduate and postgraduate colleges, rather than universities. The universities should have four characteristics – diversity of students and teachers, critical mass (student density), academic freedom to interact and collaborate and governmental or bureaucratic interference."

"The state higher education council has a responsibility to advise the government and intervene, when crucial decisions are taken, in view of the global job market that demand for highly trained workforce with critical analytical skills. Establishing small and ill-equipped universities, without consideration of the above factors, will only harm the students and damage the reputation of Karnataka graduates," he opined.

'Implement NEP'

E C Ningaraj Gowda, former syndicate member, UoM, condemned the government’s move of closing the nine universities. It's injustice meted out to the people of the respective districts. The previous government had established the universities for the benefit of rural students. The state government should take steps to strengthen the universities and to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he stressed. 

Shanmukha, assistant professor, Hassan, explained that the government's decision to close the universities would affect rural students, especially girls. The Hassan University should be retained, he urged.

Students from Hassan, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts have been staging protests, urging the government to revoke the decision.