CM Bommai inaugurates nine new universities

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai virtually inaugurated the nine newly established universities on Tuesday.They include Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Kodagu, Haveri, Koppal, Bagalkot, and Bidar. and integrated universities of Mandya and Raichur. These varsities have been set up under the 'one district- one university' concept as aspired in NEP-2020.

Along with this, an ambitious project to develop seven government engineering colleges as 'The Karnataka Institute of Technology' (KIT) by spending Rs 75 crore was also launched. The newly constructed Karnataka Higher Education Academy building at Dharwad was also inaugurated.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, "In the last two budgets of the state government, a lot of push has been given to education and health.Saying, the KIT initiative has been taken up to provide the best quality technical education to the youth of the state, he expressed hope that these would attain the IIT level in five years.

The partnership is essential for the strengthening of higher education. Hence, KITs will enter into MoUs with reputed global educational institutions, he asserted."The next 25 years is going to be 'marital' for the country. The students should acquire knowledge and engage in providing solutions to the global challenges", Bommai stated.

Meanwhile, he lauded the Higher Education Minister for taking up the path-breaking initiatives.Speaking on the occasion, Higher Education Minister Dr C.N. Ashwathnarayan said that both learning and imparting skills are being emphasised in higher education.

"The UUCMS (Unified University and College Management System)

adopted in the state has brought accountability and transparency", he opined.

The government has set up 25 universities in the last four years. Besides, a radical change is being made through digitization. As a result, 310 government first-grade colleges have attained NAAC accreditation for the first time, Narayan said.

Industries Minister MurugeshNirani, Higher Education Council Vice-President Y S Siddegowda, Higher Education Department Principal Secretary S R Umashankar and others were present.