The Hindu : Karnataka News : Opposition to varsity closure gains momentum

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 29, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Opposition to varsity closure gains momentum

By Our Staff Correspondent

TUMKUR, JUNE 28. K. Nayaz Ahmed, Syndicate member of Karnataka State Open University, and G. Chandrashekara Gowda, Senate member of Bangalore University, on Monday opposed the move to close down Tumkur University.

Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Chandrashekara Gowda told presspersons here that Tumkur University was statutorily set up here on February 21. A special officer was posted and Rs. 5 crore provided as initial grant. Local inspection committees were formed for each of the over 105 constituent colleges coming under the university's jurisdiction.

The constituent colleges were de-linked from Bangalore University. Bangalore University recently transferred Rs. 50 lakh, being the fee amount, to Tumkur University.

The new university, at its recent meeting here, drew up its calendar of events for this academic year and finalised its fee structure.

Discussion was incomplete only on the examination structure — whether it should be annual or based on the semester system. As many as 4,000 students joined various colleges of the university for degree courses. Admission notification for postgraduate courses at its three postgraduate centres was ready to be issued.

Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Chandrashekara Gowda said the Minister for Higher Education, D. Manjunath, had created a furore with his unwarranted remark on closing the university. They said: "Some students in Kolar have been protesting against affiliating their colleges to Tumkur University. We appeal to them to drop their agitation. They must know that the new university is poised to associate itself with information technology companies and adopt e-governance.

There will be no need for any student from any college to go over to the university's offices for any work. Everything will be delivered at the student's doorstep. Besides, the university's information centres will be opened in Kolar and other places." "Please give up confrontation,: they told the students of Kolar, Chickballapur, and Channapatna.

"Mr. Manjunath, although a seasoned politician, has acted in haste. Probably the officials concerned misguided him. The Minister is ignorant of the fact that the university is already functioning. He is talking of putting on hold work on setting up university, while it has already been set up. About land allocation, Mr. Manjunath is not aware that 300 acres has been sanctioned for the permanent campus of the university, and that Rs. 1.5 crore has been made available for building infrastructure,'' they said.

Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Chandrashekara Gowda said a meeting of all stakeholders in the matter would be convened in Tumkur on July 1, where a decision would be taken to pressure the Government not to succumb to the lobby against splitting Bangalore University.

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