Government College Proposal for Varuna Constituency Officially Shelved
The Department of Collegiate Education in Karnataka has formally abandoned its proposal to establish a new government first-grade college in Varuna, a hobli headquarters within Mysuru taluk. This decision comes despite significant public demand and political pressure, as Varuna falls under the assembly segment represented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself.
Public Demand and Political Pressure
Local students from the government pre-university college in Varuna, along with residents, had been actively campaigning for the establishment of this educational facility. They had directly appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to sanction the college and had urged Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, who oversees development works in the Varuna segment, to champion their cause.
The demand gained particular momentum after the government began constructing a multi-skill development training centre at the government tool room and training centre near Varuna, with support from Visvesvaraya Technological University. This development raised expectations that higher education infrastructure would follow.
Official Rejection and Rationale
However, the State Higher Education Department has rejected the proposal based on several key factors. According to official sources, the department cited the presence of eight existing first-grade colleges within a 20-kilometer radius of Varuna as a primary reason for the rejection.
The department further noted that good bus connectivity to Mysuru city and surrounding educational institutions, combined with the availability of hostels and other student facilities at existing colleges, made the new college unnecessary from an administrative perspective.
Departmental Recommendations and Activist Perspectives
Joint Director of the Department of Collegiate Education, DS Prathima, confirmed to media that her department had strongly recommended establishing the college after the higher education department sought a detailed report in response to public demand.
Activist Dandikere Nagaraj expressed disappointment with the decision, telling media: "The establishment of a government first-grade college would have significantly helped rural and economically disadvantaged students access higher education in the Varuna surroundings if the government had approved such a facility."
The original proposal was specifically designed to improve educational access for rural and economically disadvantaged students in the region, addressing what advocates saw as a critical gap in higher education infrastructure despite the area's political significance.
