17 colleges to be closed due to poor student strength

Updated on: Friday, February 25, 2011

Seventeen government degree colleges in Karnataka are being closed down because of poor student strength.

Higher Education Minister V S Acharya said these colleges had a student headcount of less than 50 each. Among them are degree colleges in Hassan and Holenarasipura, where the student strength was as low as 13 and 19, respectively.

He said the students there would be absorbed in nearby government degree colleges. No new government degree colleges would be opened in the coming financial year and neither was there any application seeking permission to open private ones. In fact, 19 private colleges have approached the Government seeking grant-in-aid.

Acharya said there were 1,500 vacancies of lecturers in Government degree colleges, adding, a proposal to fill them had been sent to the Finance Department for approval to hire quality talent numbering 300 each in five-phases.

He said talks with managements of private professional colleges were expected to be held soon in regard to fee structure and seat structure (the percentage of seats to be reserved for Government quota in those colleges).

Supreme Court is slated to decide a case in this regard on February 25; talks are expected to commence with private professional colleges thereafter. "We are open for talks", the Minister added.

17 colleges to be closed due to poor student strength

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