The reported moves by the government to bifurcate the prestigious University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru (UAS-B) to carve out a new university of agricultural sciences, Mandya, has created a flutter among agricultural scientists and academicians with many including retired Vice-Chancellors fearing that it may prove detrimental to the interests of both the universities.
Interestingly, it come ahead of the Lok Sabha polls when Mandya has already become a hotbed of politics. According to sources in the government, official preparations have begun on the proposed bifurcation and an announcement on formation of the new university may be made in the State Budget to be presented this month.
The UAS-B, which is the State’s first agricultural university set up in 1967, presently has jurisdiction over 10 districts of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chickballapura, Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, and Tumakuru.
The proposed university is expected to include the districts of Mandya, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar besides Kodagu from UAS-Shivamogga, while there is no clarity on whether Hassan will be part of it.
The move has garnered angry response from prominent academicians on the ground that it would render both the UAS-B and the proposed Mandya university ineffective as the geographical size is not feasible to operate agricultural universities given the present financial constrains.
Former Vice-Chancellor of UAS-B, K. Narayana Gowda, who is also vice-president of Forum of Former Vice-Chancellors of Karnataka, said: “This will not help farmers or the general public in any way. It will hinder the performance of the existing and proposed university. Already UAS-B is reeling under severe shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff to the extent of over 50%, with some work done through temporary or contract staff. In such a situation, formation of a new agricultural university will only increase the overhead costs by 10% to 15% as the new university would need a Vice-Chancellor and top posts like directors and deans,” Dr. Gowda observed, commenting on behalf of the forum.
Agri-economist and former chairman of the Karnataka Agricultural Prices Commission T.N. Prakash Kammaradi observed that formation of new university or bifurcation should be based on issues related to agro-ecological regions. “UAS-B presently has jurisdiction on Old Mysore region which has resemblance in agro-climatic issues, agricultural practices, crops, food habits, and culture. In this context, dividing this university to form a new one has no rationale,” he argued.
Observing that the reputations of both the universities will get diminished in accordance with the decrease in their geographical influence, he remarked: “Such decisions should not be made on political whims and fancies.”
“Presently, UAS-B, which is in the 11th place in terms of academic, research, and agri extension achievements in the country, could have been easily among the top three to five if there was no staff shortage. Even now, we are number one in south India. But we will slip due to non-feasibility of operations if the university is bifurcated,” observed another academician, who sought anonymity.
He pointed out that the student strength of UAS-B would reduce to nearly 3,000 from the present 5,000 upon bifurcation. “All these factors would affect the ranking and funding as the university should be among the country’s top 50 educational/research institutions of all streams to get global funding,” he pointed out. “UAS-B would no longer gets global recognition due to reduction in student strength and number of colleges as well as research stations.”
