The Union government has sanctioned ₹20 crore grants to Gulbarga University under Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) for the expansion of teaching infrastructure.
Addressing a media conference at Radhakrishna Hall in the university here on Monday, Vice-Chancellor Dayanand Agsar said that only four universities from Karnataka, including Gulbarga University, and 52 universities in the country have been selected for Grants for Strengthening Universities (GSU) under PM-USHA.
He said that Mangalore University, Karnataka University Dharwad and Bengaluru Central University are the other universities from the State that have got the grants.
“Under the guidelines of Karnataka State Higher Education Council, we submitted the request to the Union government for the grants. We are happy that whatever amount we sought has been granted,” Prof. Agsar said.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the amount has been allocated for four specific purposes – new construction, renovation and upgradation of existing structures, scientific development of infrastructure and soft component.
“The Union government has allocated ₹7 crore for the construction of new structures, ₹7 crore for renovation and upgradation of existing structures, ₹5.7 crore for major scientific development component and ₹25 lakh for soft/ digital component,” Prof. Agsar said.
Prof. Agsar said that a new skill development centre and an integrated multidisciplinary lecture hall complex equipped with advanced digital technology tools will be built at a cost of ₹7 crore allocated for new structures.
Under ₹7 crore allocated for renovation and upgradation of the existing structure, Prof. Agsar said, repair works will be taken up in the old academic buildings and the silver jubilee guesthouse.
“Besides, we will convert one of the officers quarters into an international guesthouse using the same allocation,” he said.
With ₹5.7 crore sanctioned for scientific development, Prof. Agsar said, a multidisciplinary lecture hall will be equipped with advanced hardware and required software will be procured with the ₹25 lahk reserved for the purpose under the soft component.
New courses
Prof. Agsar said that the university will propose two new postgraduate diploma courses, Accounts and Taxation and Material Science, which students can concurrently study along with their post-graduation course.
“Students need not first complete their post-graduation to opt for these courses. Instead, they can study them along with their post-graduation during the same year. The course will be designed in such a way that they will have an interdisciplinary approach and make students not only more employable in the job market but also capable of self-employment,” he said.
Vacancies
When asked, Registrar B. Sharanappa said that 200 of the 245 sanctioned teaching posts are lying vacant in the university and the university has submitted all required documents and statutes to the government seeking recruitment to fill the gap.
“The university has, however, made alternative arrangements by appointing guest lecturers. There are over 300 guest lecturers who are filling the gap created by the vacancies,” he said.
Nodal Officer for PM-USHA Vivekananda Jali, Deputy Finance Officer Shivaji Waghamare and Media Coordinator K.M. Kumaraswamy were present.
