BENGALURU: When existing universities in the state are struggling to survive, the state government has announced bifurcation of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi, and proposed setting up of a new campus at Hassan. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said that keeping the interest of students and also the geographical basis in mind, engineering colleges will be redistributed.

The decision has, however, come in criticism from experts. Prof Balaveera Reddy, former VTU vice-chancellor said, “It was not necessary to divide the university. If the number of colleges was high, the same would have been managed using technology.”  

“Even if bifurcation was needed, Hassan was not the right place to set up the new university. Already 200 acres of land along with infrastructure at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapur is being developed by VTU. The government must utilise that infrastructure,” he added.