Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai virtually inaugurated nine new Universities at an event held at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium in Bengaluru yesterday — Chamarajanagar University, Hassan University, Mandya University, Bidar University, Kodagu University, Koppal University, Bagalkot University, Haveri University and Raichur University.

Higher Education Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan, Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries Murugesh Nirani, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary A. Manjunath Prasad, Education Department Deputy Chief Secretary S.R. Umashankar were present.

These Varsities were set up under the ‘One District-One University’ concept as aspired in the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020). The CM also launched a Rs. 75 crore project to develop seven Government Engineering Colleges as ‘Karnataka Institutes of Technology’ (KITs). The newly constructed Karnataka Higher Education Academy building in Dharwad was also inaugurated.

“All the Universities are centres which will shape the future. Our Government has given more emphasis on education and health. Education should be growing and this kind of University is the first in the country. Everyone should adopt Karnataka’s model in the coming days,” Bommai said.

 “The KIT initiative was pursued with the aim of providing the best quality technical education to the youth of the State,” Bommai said. They would attain the IIT level in five years. KITs will enter into MoUs with reputed global educational institutions,” he added.

“Students are the future of our nation and the 21st century is the century of knowledge. Soon, India will become the world leader. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as a world leader. China also admired India’s control of Coronavirus. An educational institution means sanctity. Students should achieve their dreams,” Bommai added.

Dr. Ashwathnarayan said the Government has set up 25 Universities in the past four years. “It has been the demand and aspiration that there should be a University in all the districts and in this direction as a step the Government has opened new Universities. According to NEP, there should be at least one University in every district to fulfil the educational and skill needs of the youth there,” he said.

 Following the main virtual inauguration in Bengaluru, locally, separate events were held in Kodagu and Chamarajanagar to mark the occasion. At the Jnana Kaveri (Kodagu University) at Chikka Aluvara, the University’s first Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ashok Sangappa Alur said that the University aimed at good education for everyone. MP Pratap Simha, MLAs K.G. Bopaiah, M.P. Appachu Ranjan and others were present.

A programme was organised locally in Chamarajanagar where MLA C. Puttaranga Shetty, Vice-Chancellor Prof. M.R. Gangadhar and others participated.

Expressing happiness over the formation of the new University, the MLA said the PG Centre of the University of Mysore functioned for many years in Chamarajanagar. Now, an independent University has come up which is expected to improve the academic activities and bring benefits to the local population.