BJP MLC D.S. Arun has criticised the State government for proposing to close down nine State universities, set up in 2023. The government’s proposal was against the interest of students in backward districts, he said in a press conference in Shivamogga on Tuesday.
The universities were set up to enhance admission to higher education. The government had proposed to close them by not allocating funds sufficient to run the universities. “The State Budget is nearly ₹4 lakh crore. Even if 1% were allocated to higher education, it would make significant changes. However, the government is not showing interest in this regard,” he said.
Further, the MLC said the Minister for Higher Education had not taken his time to visit State universities and review progress. “The budget allocation to higher education has been coming down drastically every year. There has been no debate on the status of universities,” he said.
Published – February 18, 2025 11:22 pm IST
