The Karnataka Legislature on Wednesday passed the Chanakya Vishwavidyalaya Bill amid an uproar that the government has given away valuable land to an RSS agency at throwaway prices. The bill paves the way for another private university in Bengaluru.
A heated debate broke out in the Legislative Council over why the valuable land near the international airport was given to a private university at throwaway prices. Further, the Congress MLC’s allegations that the university was being given to an RSS-backed organization was met with an outcry “What’s wrong with giving it to the RSS? Should it be handed over to the Italians?” from the Treasury Bench.
Terming the proposed university as a ‘land scam’, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the land identified for the university near Haralur near the airport was originally meant for an aerospace tech park.
“This is the land acquired from the farmers of the region. About 116.16 acres of land is being given for just Rs 50 crore. In the same area, KIADB had bought land from farmers at the rate of Rs 1.5 crore per acre – the government has spent Rs 175 crore just to buy the same land, and under normal circumstances, it would have cost Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore. needed. For anyone to buy this plot from the government,” Siddaramaiah said while addressing the media. He urged the government to go back on this land allotment.
Siddaramaiah further said that the government had approved the land for this university in April last year, at a time when the state was busy with COVID-control measures. “It just shows that there are other forces behind it,” he said.
“Everyone associated with this university has an RSS background. Why should the government give its land at such low rates?
At the center of the controversy is a private university funded by philanthropists. It has been initiated by Professor MK Sridhar, who heads the Center for Educational and Social Studies. Professor Sridhar, a former economics professor and dean at Bangalore University, was a key member of the committee that drafted the new National Policy on Education (NEP).
The university plans to start bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programs from the academic year beginning June 2022 in social sciences, humanities, mathematics, basic science, commerce and management, Professor Sridhar told News18.
“It may be a private university but it is based on philanthropic funding. And we are trying to design our own curriculum based entirely on NEP to focus more on learning outcomes. Over time , we will introduce courses in law and education, performing arts and sports as part of our curriculum. We aim to bring the right perspective on Indian knowledge systems from ancient to modern – from the Vedas to other knowledge systems – as well as Want to connect with the global scenario,” Prof Sridhar told News18 in an interview that the center was established as a society in 2007.
Prof Sridhar said that some volunteers have committed to fund the university, but it will be clear only after the governor gives his assent and the university comes into existence. The bill for the establishment of the university was passed by voice vote amid protests by the opposition Congress and JD members who walked out of the council.
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