MC Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education, during the State Council meeting at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday (March 16). | Photo credit: Special arrangement
State universities in Karnataka are suffering from what can be described as “serious chronic maladies” and the problems cannot be solved by temporary means, Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar told the Legislative Council on Monday (March 16).
Raising the issue under Article 330, BJP member Talwar Sabanna said that the state universities have become centers of trouble, claiming that they are plagued by caste issues and corruption and that their overall functioning has deteriorated.
Supporting the discussion, Congressman Puttanna said that the condition of universities has been deteriorating for almost two decades. “All universities have reached the stage of decline and resemble sinking ships. They have become white elephants for the government,” he said, calling for two or three days to be set aside for a detailed discussion.
Leader of Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy demanded that nearly 14,000 vacant seats in universities across the state be filled as soon as possible.
Mr. Sudhakar replied that if these issues had been consistently brought to the attention of successive governments earlier, the burden of solving them would not have fallen entirely on the present administration.
No quick fix
He said the rapid increase in the number of universities in the state was not matched by adequate sources of revenue. “Universities are suffering from serious diseases and such problems cannot be cured with a quick cure. They require permanent treatment,” he said, adding that the government had gradually started taking corrective measures.
The Minister said that he is open to a detailed discussion in the House of Representatives on the state of universities without party or ideological considerations. However, he added that members should be ready to accept the decisions taken by the government after deliberation.
Mr. Sudhakar also informed the House that an investigation was underway into the expenditure of about ₹ 11 crore on printing of mark cards at Gulbarga University. He said similar problems were reported in Tumkur and Kuvempu universities and investigations were initiated.
Published – 16 March 2026 20:58 IST
