Bengaluru: As expected, Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a slew of projects for higher education in the state to both modernise it and increase the gross enrollment ratio in institutions offering it.
The many proposals include distribution of 1.5 lakh laptops free to students who gain admission in the year 2017-18 to engineering, medical, and first grade colleges besides polytechnics.
Pandering to his pet Ahinda cause, the Chief Minister also announced the setting up of a study chair in the Karnataka University, Dharwad in the name of Rajashree Saahumaharaj, who introduced reservation for the first time in the country in the interest of social justice. He also announced the setting up of a Byari Study Chair in Mangalore University. Byari is spoken by the Muslim community along the state’s coast.
A Raichur University with jurisdiction over all colleges of Raichur and Yadgir districts is also on the cards. Mr Siddaramaiah revealed the government was keen on amending the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 to bring in transparency in the administration of universities.
Meanwhile, it has been proposed to allocate Rs 25 crore to the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) and Rs 5 crore to the Dharwad Karnataka College.
Other major announcements include the establishment of 25 new government polytechnics, 23 girls’ hostels attached to government polytechnics and 10 model schedule caste and schedule tribe residential first grade colleges.
