<p>The Union Ministry of Education is said to have decided to close all regional offices of the University Grants Commission (UGC), including the one in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>This has prompted an attack on the ruling BJP by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah.</p>.<p>According to staff working at the UGC's South-Western Regional Office in Bengaluru, they got an intimation a week ago about the closure and shifting to New Delhi.</p>.<p>The UGC has six other regional offices: Southern Eastern Regional Office (Hyderabad), Western Regional Office (Pune), Central Regional Office (Bhopal), Northern Regional College Bureau (Delhi), North-Eastern Regional Office (Guwahati) and Eastern Regional Office (Kolkata).</p>.<p>With the UGC moving out, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is the only major central higher education body left in Bengaluru. Closure of the regional UGC office has caused a worry among NAAC staff as well.</p>.<p>According to sources, this is the first step towards constituting the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) that will subsume the UGC.</p>.<p>In a statement, Siddaramaiah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah come to Karnataka with an agenda every time. "This time, their agenda was to close the UGC regional centre," he said. "With this, all universities, colleges, teachers and students have to go to New Delhi even for minor issues."</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah even attacked Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Higher Education Minister CN Ashwath Narayan for not raising their voice against this.</p>.<p>"Despite knowing this, the CM and the higher education minister did not even express dissent," the former chief minister said, recalling the merger of the State Bank of Mysore, Canara Bank, Corporation Bank and Vijaya Bank. He also said the CRPF batallion sanctioned to Karnataka was diverted to Uttar Pradesh.</p>.<p>"This duo from Gujarat is snatching everything from Karnataka. The CM, who speaks of guts and strength, and the state BJP is insulting seven crore Kannadigas whose self-respect is being looted," Siddaramaiah charged.</p>
<p>The Union Ministry of Education is said to have decided to close all regional offices of the University Grants Commission (UGC), including the one in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>This has prompted an attack on the ruling BJP by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah.</p>.<p>According to staff working at the UGC's South-Western Regional Office in Bengaluru, they got an intimation a week ago about the closure and shifting to New Delhi.</p>.<p>The UGC has six other regional offices: Southern Eastern Regional Office (Hyderabad), Western Regional Office (Pune), Central Regional Office (Bhopal), Northern Regional College Bureau (Delhi), North-Eastern Regional Office (Guwahati) and Eastern Regional Office (Kolkata).</p>.<p>With the UGC moving out, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is the only major central higher education body left in Bengaluru. Closure of the regional UGC office has caused a worry among NAAC staff as well.</p>.<p>According to sources, this is the first step towards constituting the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) that will subsume the UGC.</p>.<p>In a statement, Siddaramaiah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah come to Karnataka with an agenda every time. "This time, their agenda was to close the UGC regional centre," he said. "With this, all universities, colleges, teachers and students have to go to New Delhi even for minor issues."</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah even attacked Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Higher Education Minister CN Ashwath Narayan for not raising their voice against this.</p>.<p>"Despite knowing this, the CM and the higher education minister did not even express dissent," the former chief minister said, recalling the merger of the State Bank of Mysore, Canara Bank, Corporation Bank and Vijaya Bank. He also said the CRPF batallion sanctioned to Karnataka was diverted to Uttar Pradesh.</p>.<p>"This duo from Gujarat is snatching everything from Karnataka. The CM, who speaks of guts and strength, and the state BJP is insulting seven crore Kannadigas whose self-respect is being looted," Siddaramaiah charged.</p>
