Karnataka govt forms cabinet sub-committee to revamp higher education

A Cabinet Sub-Committee has been set up under the leadership of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to examine and recommend measures for enhancing the quality of education in state's universities, according to Minister for Higher Education M C Sudhakar.

Sudhakar revealed that the committee has already conducted two meetings and is currently in the process of compiling data.

"The committee may hold another one or two meetings before submitting its report to the Cabinet," he said.

The panel is tasked with evaluating the current situation of all state universities, covering financial and academic aspects, as well as identifying vacancies—both backlog and regular posts.

Sudhakar noted that while some universities have introduced new courses, student enrollment has dropped in certain existing ones.

The committee is also expected to examine whether the number of sanctioned posts can be adjusted based on student strength and determine the need for new faculty positions to support newly introduced courses.

At present, there are about 3,000 vacancies across government-run universities in the state.

An integrated report, which will also incorporate financial inputs, is being prepared with the support of experts from the Finance Department.

“I have convinced the committee as well as the experts from the Finance Department on the necessary recruitment of the faculty for getting the green signal from the UGC to run the institutes,” the minister added.