All districts to have universities: Education Minister

December 16, 2021

Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan has said that government will establish universities in all the districts in the state. The proposed varsities will have maximum 25 staff members, including vice-chancellor.
The minister was speaking at an event in Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) here on Wednesday. He said varsities could now be set up on small lands with modern technology.
The Minister also said that University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) and Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) will be upgraded on par with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
”Universities with vast campuses are becoming irrelevant nowadays. Modern technology has enabled the setting up of universities which are compact. Keeping this in mind, new universities which will be set up in the districts, and will be made to function effectively with the number of staff not exceeding 25, including Vice-Chancellor,” Nrayan said.
UVCE in Bengaluru will be developed in line with IIT-Mumbai, and a plan by having a 10 years time frame has been envisaged to make it a reality, he was quoted as saying at an event held at VTU here, by his office in a release.
The government will give priority to setting up compact universities in each district instead of setting up large universities, he added.

Further stating that VTU in Belagavi which is spread in 120 acres should also develop as an institution similar to IIT, the Minister said Prof.Karisiddappa, Vice-Chancellor, has responded in the affirmative in this regard, to submit the action plan within a month.
”It has also been decided to provide world-class quality education in 17 government engineering colleges of the state. They will be developed as the most favoured institutions by granting more autonomy and constituting governing bodies for each of them,” he said.