Bengaluru, Feb 1 (PTI) As agricultural and allied sciences are complementary, establishing separate universities is not ideal, said T K Prabhakar Shetty, a member of the Board of Management of Bangalore Agricultural University (BAU), on Saturday, pushing for a comprehensive university status for BAU.
He said it is essential to consolidate agricultural-related institutions in the districts under the Bangalore Revenue Division, along with Chitradurga district.
“Transforming BAU into a comprehensive agricultural university will not only preserve the parent institution but also foster its growth,” said Shetty.
The various stakeholders of BAU convened a press meet today in the wake of the Karnataka government’s decision to establish a comprehensive Agricultural University in Mandya during a cabinet meeting.
K S Rajasekharappa, President of the Teachers’ Association of BAU, said the districts under the purview of BAU—Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Tumkur, and Bengaluru—have horticulture and dairy farming as major allied activities alongside agriculture.
He said the academic seniority and infrastructure available at BAU are beneficial for all agricultural and horticultural-related institutions under the jurisdiction of the Bangalore Revenue Division.
These districts, he added, also benefit from excellent market access and connectivity through air and rail, which are conducive to promoting horticulture.
According to Shetty, the decision to establish a comprehensive agricultural university in Mandya has limited the scope of BAU to just two campuses in Bengaluru and Chintamani, raising questions about its status as a university.
“BAU, established under the Karnataka State Agricultural Universities Act 1963, is the first agricultural university in the state and serves as the parent institution,” pointed out Shetty.
He said, over time, agricultural universities have been established in Dharwad (1986), Bidar (2005), Raichur (2008), Bagalkot (2008), and Shivamogga (2013).
“Therefore, considering the interests of BAU, which laid the foundation for the six agricultural-related universities in the state, it is necessary to transform BAU into a Comprehensive Agricultural University as well,” added Shetty.
H L Harish, President of the Alumni Association of BAU, pointed out that the committee chaired by S Rajendra Prasad, formed to establish the comprehensive agricultural university in Mandya district, recommended in its fifth suggestion that “the committee also recommends considering BAU, which will cover six other districts, as an agricultural and horticultural sciences university, similar to the Shivamogga and Mandya models.” PTI JR SSK ROH
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