Civil society members seek funds for Kannada University

Taking note of the serious financial crisis that Kannada University, Hampi, has been facing in recent years, over 50 civil society activists, including writers, academics, and educationists, have sought adequate financial assistance from the government to run the university.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swami of Sanehalli Mutt, educationist V.P. Niranjanaradhya, journalist Sanatkumar Belagali, and writers such as Basavaraj Sulibavi, K.P. Suresh, H.S. Anupama, Ashok Shettar, Hema Pattanashetti, Srinivas Kakkillaya, and Na. Diwakar demanded that the government immediately release adequate funds to save, develop and strengthen the university and take steps to empower the institution.

“The State is celebrating the 69th Karnataka Rajyotsava and 50 years of its renaming as Karnataka. The Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are speaking volumes about protecting and developing Kannada… However, Kannada University, which was established to uphold the identity of Karnataka, is on the verge of closure due to the dearth of funds,” they said.

They noted that the university, where 1,200 students are studying, was staring at an uncertain future as it did not have funds to manage requirements such as paying salaries to staff and meeting daily expenses owing to the drastic drop in the fund allocation.

“Many teaching and non-teaching posts are lying vacant and they are managed by the casual employees. The university does not have money to pay their salaries. The casual employees and sourced workers have not been paid for the last one year,” they said, demanding the government to release the funds for protecting, developing, and strengthening the university.

Published - November 28, 2024 08:09 pm IST