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The state government is considering bifurcation of the Bangalore University to reduce its jurisdiction and it has also decided to set up a new university.
Minister for higher education R V Deshpande informed this to the Assembly at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here on Wednesday.
Replying to a question from Congress MLA Ramesh Kumar, Deshpande said the government has realised the need for a separate university to cater to the colleges in Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru rural district.
The Bengaluru north and east taluks which are in Bengaluru city district, Bengaluru rural, Chikkaballapura and Kolar districts will come under the purview of new university which will have headquarters at Jnana Vahini campus in Hosakote. Bengaluru South, Anekal taluk and Ramanagara district will continue to be under Bangalore University.
The state government has already sent a proposal for amendment to the Karnataka State Universities Act 2000 to the governor to facilitate the change. The governor had returned the proposal seeking more details. A committee headed by former vice-chancellor of the university N R Shetty was constituted to provide a detailed report, Deshpande explained.
CCTVs in govt schools
Minister for primary and secondary education Kimmane Ratnakar told the house that the government schools in Bengaluru will be equipped with CCTV cameras on an experimental basis.
Each school will have four CCTVs and the government has called for tenders for the same, he said in a reply to MLA Ravi Subrahmanya.
Kasturirangan Report
Minister for higher education R V Deshpande said, the state government was ready for a detailed discussion on the report submitted by Kasturirangan on the preservation and promotion of the Western Ghats in the state.
BJP MLA Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri had raised the issue by saying that farmers in Malnad region were confused and worried over recommendations of the commission. He said, the recommendations, if implemented, would hit hard the lifestyle and agriculture in the region, Kageri pointed out that Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat adjoining the Western Ghats had already obtained certain concessions. But, Karnataka was still in a slumber when the date for pleading its case before the Green Bench of the Supreme Court was fast approaching.
Kageri wanted a detailed discussion on Madhav Gadgil Commission report too.
The environmental research commission was appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The commission was mandated with compiling readily available information about Western Ghats; development of geo-spatial database based on environmental sensitivity; and consultation with government bodies and civil society groups.
