Karnataka government is planning to shift the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) from K.R. Circle campus to Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore University.
Minister of Higher Education and Technical Education M.C. Sudhakar visited the Jnanabharathi campus on September 14, and verified the available land for the proposed campus of UVCE.
UVCE was established in 1917 by Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya. It has been affiliated to Bangalore University since 1964. The State Government declared UVCE an autonomous university in 2021 with the aim of developing it on the model of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), and brought a separate UVCE Act 2021 in this regard. The government appointed a Board of Governors to administer the university.
The UVCE provides six engineering courses — Electronics & Communication, Electrical & Electronics, Mechanical, Computer Science, Information Science and Civil Engineering.
The campus, centrally located at K.R. Circle, is spread over 10 acres, and houses the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics & Communication, and Computer Science Engineering. The Department of Civil Engineering & Architecture, and post-graduate academic activities are in the Jnanabharathi campus on 50 acres of land where the UVCE also provides hostel facilities to students.
Running academic departments in different locations has become problematic to the administration, and it is affecting the governance of the university too. It is also difficult for students to travel between the hostel and college.
“The government intended to run the first State-level autonomous university on IIT model in one location. There is not enough space in the K.R. Circle campus to establish the university. Academic departments working in different locations is affecting the quality of education and the students, faculty and governance. For the future of the students and the university, the government is preparing a master plan to shift the UVCE campus from K.R. Circle campus to Jnanabharathi campus, and establish a global level campus,” according to a source.
Minister Dr. Sudhakar told The Hindu, “Earlier, Bangalore University had given 50 acres of land for the UVCE in the Jnanabharathi campus. The Civil and Architecture departments are working there. The previous government has declared UVCE as an autonomous State university on IIT model. But, there are no facilities. We have to develop the university. I will discuss this idea with the Chief Minister.
“The Jnanabharathi campus is spread over 1,112 acres. But, some land have been encroached. I had a meeting with officials and have ordered issuing notices to the encroachers. I have also ordered the Deputy Commissioner concerned to carry out a re-survey of the Jnanabharathi campus,” he said.
Why alumni oppose shifting UVCE
UVCE alumni have opposed the idea of shifting the university to Jnanabharathi campus.
K.R. Venugopal, alumnus of UVCE, principal of UVCE for 15 years, and former Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University, said, “UVCE is a two-campus university, and cannot be shifted from K.R. Circle. Universities can be run in two campuses. Earlier, Bangalore University was running with two campuses — in Jnanabharathi and Central College. Indian Institute of Science (IISc.)-Bengaluru and IIT-Delhi also have two campuses. I strongly oppose the government’s idea of shifting UVCE.
“Earlier, in 2014-15, when R.V. Deshapande was the Minister for Higher and Technical Education, the government tried to shift the UVCE to Jnanabharathi campus. After strong opposition from students and alumni, the government dropped the idea. UVCE was started by Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The university is running in his name in a heritage building. Recently, it was completely renovated.”
The K.R. Circle campus was renovated at a cost of ₹50 crore. The government also recently extended the status quo of the UVCE’s academic and administrative arrangement with the BU for a year after 69 teaching faculty and few technical staff decided to opt for Bangalore University due to financial crunch and other issues.
