Mysore/Mysuru: While saying that the State Government move will make University of Mysore (UoM) leaner and will decrease its burden, Registrar Prof. R. Shivappa said that the Government move will make higher education accessible to all as many students drop out of post-graduation education due to the distance factor.

“It will benefit rural students and will ease the burden of Mysore University that will have jurisdiction over just the city and district. We can function more efficiently, allocating our existing budget and focus on offering new courses and new streams of education,” he said.

UoM Vice-Chancellor Prof. G. Hemantha Kumar said that they were awaiting the notification from the Department of Higher Education. “The admission will be a normal process at the University of Mysore and classes will begin in November. It will take some time for the new Universities to take shape,” he added.

 Decision hasty: Former Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University

Establishment of new Universities and dividing the existing ones to add to new ones is not an easy task as there are many aspects to be taken care of like the infrastructure, appointment of University heads like the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Registrar (Evaluation), administrative staff, faculty of lecturers, assistant professors, professors, etc.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University Prof. P. Venkataramaiah opined that while establishing new Universities is a good thing, the way the State Government is going about it is not right. “Crores of rupees is needed to develop infrastructure and create an academic atmosphere. Instead of setting up new Universities in a hasty manner, this could have been accomplished in phases,” he observed.

Prof. Venkataramaiah said that the paltry allocation of Rs. 2 crore for each University is hardly enough for any works. “A University cannot be built overnight and it has to have an organic growth in stages. Decisions must be taken by the Government keeping in mind the financial constraints and also the future of the students,” he noted.

“Before establishing a University, the Government must have a vision, which is clearly missing in this case as the decision has been taken in haste. Along with the establishment of the Universities, facilities must be created for conducive research in select areas. Otherwise, there is no meaning in establishing a University. Even the PG centres that were established under the University of Mysore are lacking in every aspect,” he added.