The government stipulations that no additional posts or infrastructure will be created in the proposed new universities to be created by hiving them off from their parent varsities, has irked academics.
The PG centres of the University of Mysore at Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan are being hived off to function as full-fledged universities from the new academic year. In addition, the PG centres of Gulbarga University, Mangalore University, Vijayanagar Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Rani Channamma University and Karnataka University too are being hived off and will function as independent universities.
But the new varsities have been prohibited not only from creating additional posts but they have also been barred from creating new infrastructure like construction of buildings and have been instructed to function with the existing resources and manpower.
This has resulted in a quandary with respect to the B.R.Ambedkar Post-Graduate Centre which will function as Chamarajanagar University. For, the PG centre established more than 10 years ago has no sanctioned post or staff.
Though the government circular dated November 5, 2022 states that the parent university should redistribute its resources and redeploy its manpower, sources in the University of Mysore said this was highly impractical and was fraught with difficulties.
‘’The University of Mysore itself is suffering from an acute shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff. So much as that no recruitments have taken place since many years and guest lectures are being hired to conduct the classes. This has resulted in the UoM slipping in the National Institute Ranking Framework of the MHRD. This being the case the UoM is unlikely to release its staff to the new varsity at Chamarajanagar’’, said the sources.
Taking exception to such stipulations, academics said no country has prospered or developed without higher education and such stifling conditions do not augur well for the development of the new varsities and defeats the purpose for which they are being created in the first place – of expanding higher education in rural hinterland.
A section of them pointed to the current fate of the Karnataka State Dr.Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University - which was established in 2008 where only the post of the Vice Chancellor has been created. All other teaching staff are guest faculty. This has crippled the growth of the music varsity as it is not eligible to receive funds from the MHRD.
To qualify for funds, the music varsity should receive 12 B approval from the University Grants Commission. But sources pointed out that to receive the 12 B approval from the UGC, the university concerned should fulfil certain terms and conditions one of which is that it should have 5 full-fledged departments and 35 permanent staff besides an equal number of non-teaching staff. In the absence of sanctioned staff, the music varsity is unable to secure 12 B approval and its funding has been choked. Hence there are concerns that a similar fate will befall the Chamarajanagar University as well.
