- UoM awaits notification from Higher Education Department
- New Model Varsities in Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Hassan
Mysore/Mysuru: The University of Mysore (UoM) is awaiting a final notification from the Department of Higher Education on limiting its jurisdiction to Mysuru city and district and cutting off ties with colleges and institutions that are at present under its ambit in Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan.
In all probability, the new ‘Model Universities’ in Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu (presently affiliated to Mangalore University) and Hassan will begin functioning from the next academic year (2023-2024).
With the establishment of new Universities, the existing burden on the UoM will reduce considerably and even the activities will come down and budget allocations can be utilised efficiently.
At present, the UoM governs colleges, B.Ed institutes at Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar and over 1,15,000 students come under it from 234 institutions. Once the district Universities are formed, the strength of UoM students will drastically reduce to over 40,000 from 109 Colleges.
The State Cabinet has already cleared the decks for establishing eight new Universities in Karnataka and has amended Karnataka Universities Act, 2000.
According to Higher Education Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan, the decision would pave the way for establishing new Universities in Chamarajanagar, Haveri, Hassan, Kodagu, Koppal, Bagalkot, Bidar and Mandya. These places already have PG Centres which would be developed into Universities.
Among these proposed Universities, Chamarajanagar Varsity would comprise 18 colleges, Hassan would have 36, Haveri 40, Bidar 140, Kodagu 24, Koppal 40 and Bagalkot would have 71 colleges. The Unitary University in Mandya would comprise all the First Grade Colleges of the district, the Minister said.
A total of Rs. 14 crore had been earmarked for the purpose, he said. These Universities would function with a new concept in lesser space with limited human resource and reduced expenses, he added.
Once the new Universities come into force, colleges located in these districts will be affiliated to the respective district Universities and their affiliations from previous Universities will be withdrawn.
The Minister added that the establishment of new Universities is in line with the objective of National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020), which envisages one University in every district.
The Departments of Finance and Planning have already given their consent for setting up new Universities.
The UOM has been a third rate university for decades, infested with casteism , nepotism and corruption. The upcoming universities will be no different.
Yet, hundreds of thousands of students, go abroad to England, Australia , USA and even to the Tiny New Zealand. Why?
I agree with this restructuring. You see the management of any institution needs to have a greater control.
Take for example, the 2 private colleges which are affiliated to the UOM, one of them an engineering college, of which I serve in their governing bodies. I sit on the interview committee to select the principal and other staff. We do not need the clever principal or clever lecturers, but we select those who we know them. Which means they were recommended to me.; they often are not the good candidates, but we can have control over what they do. They listen to me and others in the governing body. That is good management practice.
Hence, management is everything for an institution. BTW, I have a law degree, but the Kerosene business brings me more money than my legal practice. It is a kind of service to the society too.