Bangalore University ’s economics school faces rough weather

While the Bangalore School of Economics (BSE) is Bangalore University vice-chancellor Prabhu Dev’s dream project, academic council members of BU, during the meeting on Friday, raised objections against it. The vice-chancellor then decided to form a committee to look into the matter.

Though Dev wishes that the BSE will be a centre of excellence, a majority of the members said that he had not been ‘transparent’ about the issue. Others felt that a better ‘deal’ could have been obtained, besides the `100-crore donation from the Jindal group.
Even as the V-C clarified that land was not purchased, many argued that over time, the university would lose authority over the school.

He said a special committee under the chairmanship of former additional secretary Balasubramanium has been approached for recovery of encroached government land and BDA too has been  
approached for allotment
of land on a 30-year lease.

“We could have sought the expression of interest and seen if a better deal was available. After the proposal from the Jindal group, the university should have called forward other interested organisations and explored whether we could have obtained a better deal, not only in monetary terms,” said a member. Others suggested that the existing economics department itself could have been ‘rejuvenated’.

Only a handful of the academic council members were for the setting up of Bangalore School of economics, while those who raised objections against it were in plenty.

Even with regard to the admission process, they said that if 25% of the seats were reserved for students from Karnataka, then it will deviate from the Karnataka reservation norms and sought clarity on the issue.