Bengaluru: Hot debates are on in the state higher education sector, over the dividing of the bigger universities like the Bangalore University (BU) and the creation of new universities at each district. But the state government has found a unique solution to this issue, as dividing the existing universities or creation of new universities may have several repercussions.
In a bid to improve the standard of the higher education sector in the state besides bringing down the work load and the administrative pressure on the existing universities, the state has proposed the forming of 12 new cluster universities under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). Among them two were proposed in Bengaluru city.
According to the new proposal put forth by the state higher education council these 12 new cluster universities will come up in Bengaluru, Hassan, Gulbarga, Chitradurga, Udupi, Kolar, Mysore, Chickmagalur, Chikkaballapur, Kodagu and Ramanagar. Under the proposal, four to five government first grade colleges in these cities will be brought under a single administrative system and converted into a cluster university. According to the RUSA guidelines, the union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is planning to release Rs 55 crores to each cluster university.
Participating colleges will be considered as the constituent colleges. These cluster universities will be given autonomy to prepare their own course modules, admissions format and degrees. “These cluster universities are expected to improve the standard of higher education in the government sector. Once these cluster universities are formed, we can ensure more admissions to the higher education institutes beside quality intervention and decentralized administration,” informed an officer from the state higher education department.
According to the proposal, the first cluster university of the Bengaluru city will comprise of government science, arts, RC College of Commerce, Vijayanagar first grade college and government first grade college KR Puram. The second cluster university will be formed by bringing together Maharani’s Arts, Commerce and Management women’s college, Maharani’s Science college for women and VHD Home Science college.”
“The second cluster university will have three women colleges from the city. The main intention of forming such a women-centric cluster university is to increase the gross enrollment ratio of girl students in the higher education sector,” he explained.
