Academic Council discusses preservation of the now locked heritage structure

Caption: Vice-Chancellor Prof. N.K. Lokanath chairing the Academic Council meeting at Crawford Hall in city yesterday.

Mysuru, June 2 (BLU&BCT)- The dilapidated condition of the ‘Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Centre for Philosophy and Indian Culture’ in Saraswathipuram, where former President and renowned Philosopher Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan once lived, came up for discussion at the University of Mysore (UoM) Academic Council meeting yesterday.

A portion of the bungalow on the left side has collapsed, while plaster has peeled off at several places inside the building, raising concerns about the condition of the heritage structure.

During the meeting, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. N.K. Lokanath at Crawford Hall, Legislative Council Member K. Vivekananda drew the attention of the meeting to the collapse of a section of the roof.

Referring to a Star of Mysore report published on May 17 under the headline ‘UoM locks crumbling Dr. Radhakrishnan Centre,’ Vivekananda warned that the century-old building could fall into complete ruin if restoration works were not taken up immediately.

He noted that the lack of periodic maintenance after the restoration has now pushed the heritage structure back to the brink and as a result, rainwater stagnation on the roof has weakened the structure considerably.

Stressing the historical significance of the structure, he urged the University to undertake restoration either through its own resources or by mobilising support from donors. He emphasised that any renovation should preserve the building’s original architectural character. Vivekananda also offered to pursue financial assistance from both the State and Central Governments and suggested that a joint delegation meet Ministers and senior officials, including Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, to seek support for the restoration project.

Responding to the concerns, Prof. Lokanath assured the Council that a detailed renovation plan would be prepared. He said, a letter had already been sent to the Archaeology Department and agreed to lead a delegation to submit proposals to the State and Central authorities.

During the meeting, Vivekananda also highlighted the University’s financial difficulties, attributing them to large-scale appointments made during previous administrations.

He said that the situation had affected the payment of salaries, pensions and research scholarships and urged the authorities to address the issue at the earliest.

Registrar M.K. Savitha, Registrar (Evaluation) Prof. N. Nagaraja and other members of the Academic Council were present.