The Hindu     31.07.2012

BBMP proposes five degree colleges, BU approves four

 The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has
ambitious plans of establishing five new degree colleges. However, there
is a dampener as Bangalore University has approved of only four of
them. According to BBMP sources, these colleges were proposed to be set
up in Cleveland Town, Mathikere, Dispensary Road, Magadi Road and
Byraveshwara Nagar. The civic authority has a degree college at Kasturba
Nagar that offers arts and commerce courses.

The
sources said that these colleges would function only from the next
academic year. “We wanted to start this year itself. However, permission
from the university and the government was delayed,” they added. The
BBMP had been confident that Bangalore University would approve it as
there is demand for seats in its pre-university colleges. “The next
logical step would be to start degree colleges,” the sources added.

Bangalore
University Registrar B.C. Mylarappa said the university’s Local Inquiry
Committee (LIC) had inspected the five colleges. “It, however, cleared
only four. The BBMP has proposed to offer BA, B.Com, BCA and BBM in the
new colleges,” he said.

Conceding the delay, Prof.
Mylarappa said: “The LICs were actually supposed to submit their reports
by March 31 to the State government. Due to the delay, the reports were
sent only recently. The BBMP may be able to start the colleges from the
next academic year.”

BBMP sources said that the
civic authority would be able to start the colleges only after the
government issues a gazette notification. “We hope to outsource teachers
for the colleges, but can do so only after the gazette notification is
published,” they added.

University sources said that the delay was mainly because the new guidelines for LICs were prepared late by a special committee.