A year on, BCU continues to feel trifurcation pangs

Classes affected by lack of permanent faculty

The plan to start 10 new departments in the Central College campus may not take off due to shortage of faculty and space constraints.

The absence of a single permanent faculty member and inadequate financial resources has had an adverse impact on the development of Bengaluru Central University (BCU), a year after the trifurcation of Bangalore University (BU).

The university has put off opening new departments for the 2019-2020 academic year and has also not been able to renovate several departments in the Central College premises. Worse still, many of the classes have been disrupted as faculty members are juggling between the Central College campus under BCU and Jnanabharathi campus, which comes under the parent Bangalore University.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, M. Ramachandra Gowda, Registrar of the BCU, said that 17 faculty members continue to juggle between the Central College campus and the Jnanabharathi campus. “Although many of them have decided to be a part of BCU, the State government is yet to transfer their posts to BCU,” he said.

A student of the commerce department said, “In the morning once classes have commenced, we get messages from our professors that they will be unable to come for class as they have some work in the Jnanabharathi campus. As a result, our portions don't get completed on time.”

Although Higher Education Minister G.T. Devegowda has directed that teaching and non-teaching posts be transferred to BCU and BNU in August, orders are yet to be issued by the department, officials said.

S. Japhet, Vice Chancellor of BCU, said that the university, has so far received ₹15 crore from the State government and Bangalore University. “We run entirely on guest faculty members. It is becoming difficult to bear the financial load,” he said.

He added that although the finance department has approved release of ₹17.5 crore, the university is yet to get the funds. Also, many buildings in the Central College campus are yet to be vacated by Bangalore University.

Prof. Japhet added that the plan to start 10 new departments in 2019-2020 may not be implemented due to shortage of faculty resources and space constraints. “We wanted to start law, cinema studies, public policy, life sciences and several other departments. Even the syllabus is ready, but we may not be able to start these departments,” he said.

Currently, the university has 16 departments.