Parameshwar disfavours bio-tech. park in UAS

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, SEPT. 30. The Minister of State for Higher Education and Medical Education, Dr. G. Parameshwar, has disapproved the idea of setting up a bio- technology park on GKVK campus at Hebbal near Bangalore.

He told presspersons after inaugurating the South Zone Vice- Chancellors' Conference here today that an alternative site should be found for setting up the park.

Dr. Parameshwar pointed out that the GKVK campus of the University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, had a number of valuable flora including germ plasms obtained from abroad. ``The area does not merely contain mango trees. There are valuable trees there.''

Dr. Parameshwar's assertion assumes significance in the wake of the statement of the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. T. B. Jayachandra, that the State Government would go ahead with the decision to set up the park on the campus despite stiff opposition from the students and staff of the university.

Mr. Jayachandra said the Government had transferred 100 acres of land belonging to the university to the Department of Information Technology for setting up a bio-technology corridor from the Mehkri Circle to the GKVK campus.

The Government's decision to set up the park on the UAS campus has led to an agitation by the students in the university. Police resorted to lathi-charge against the agitating students on Thursday.

Astrology course

Reacting to a query on introduction of Astrology course in the universities in the State, Dr. Parameshwar said the Government had not taken any decision on the matter.

If a university wanted to introduce the course, its Board of Studies should recommend the matter before ratification by the Academic Council and the Syndicate. Subsequently, the university should forward the recommendation in the form of a statute to the Chancellor. The Government could take a decision on introducing a new course only when the matter was brought before it, he said.

Earlier, delivering the inaugural address of the conference, Dr. Parameshwar referred to the dispute between those supporting and opposing the introduction of Astrology course in universities. ``Some say it is a science, and a few others say it is not,'' he said.

He, however, felt that people, who ``fancy'' Astrology, could be given a chance to study it as a course in higher education.

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