It has been over three-and-half months since the two new universities — Bengaluru Central and Bengaluru North — became functional. Yet, they have not received government funds. This is because the universities still do not have their own head of account.
A head of account is mandatory for the State government to provide funds and approve budget for the university.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Vice-Chancellor of Bengaluru North University T.D. Kemparaju said they were unable to get government funds owing to this reason. The university submitted a proposal of ₹355 crore in December 2016. However, it has not yet received any money from the government. The situation is the same at Bengaluru Central University, which plans to approach corporates as their repeated proposals have not yielded results.
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Sources in the Higher Education Department told
Currently, both universities have been given ₹3 crore each from the parent Bangalore University. The State government had directed the parent university to provide ₹10 crore to Bengaluru Central University and ₹15 crore to Bengaluru North University. Prof. Kemparaju also said that besides this amount, the parent university had to also transfer the affiliation fees of the respective colleges leaving aside the expenditure for local inquiry committee visits.
There have been no allocations made to the two new universities in the budget either.
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Bengaluru North University is also waiting for land. Out of the total 172 acres of land, 57 acres have been given. The university is in touch with the Revenue Department and the Deputy Commissioner of Chickballapur district to get the remaining 115 acres of land.
Adoption of villages without graduates
After learning that there were several villages in Kolar and Chickballapur districts without a single graduate, Bengaluru North University has decided to adopt the villages and undertake a detailed survey on social, financial and educational background of people there. “We will make efforts to bring them into mainstream,” said Vice-Chancellor of Bengaluru North University T.D. Kemparaju. They also plan to start career guidance and competitive exam study centres and a language laboratory. Besides that, Prof. Kemparaju said that they also want to start an education fund where girl students would be given education.
New innovative courses to rural areas
Bengaluru North university, which currently has four departments, plans to start eight new postgraduate programmes from the coming academic year. Some of these courses include bachelors in hospitality and event management and civil aviation, PG courses in fashion and apparel technology, library and information science, among others. “The number of students taking science courses is declining, so we want to take innovative courses to rural areas,” said Vice-Chancellor of Bengaluru North University T.D. Kemparaju. He also said that skill component will be added to general courses. He said that they would also start a finishing school for B.Ed graduates.