AIDSO questions UVCE's Rs 100 crore new building project, raises concern over fee hike

NEW DELHI: The All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) has raised concerns regarding the state government's decision to construct a new building for University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) at Jnanabharathi, questioning its necessity. The student body has also raised concern over financial burden on students due to fee hike. UVCE, one of the oldest and prominent engineering colleges in Karnataka, is at the center of controversy over building project, shortage of faculty and fee hike.

In a statement issued by Kalyan Kumar V, district secretary of AIDSO, the organization expressed concerns over the doubling of fees in the last two years. As per AIDSO, the current fee structure, which stands at Rs 47,000, has become a barrier for students from financially weaker sections.

Fee hike and financial burden on students

AIDSO criticized the government for creating an environment where only those who can afford such fees have access to education at UVCE. This, they claim, contradicts the principle of making quality education accessible to all. "While the College fees have doubled in the last two years, a situation is created that only those who can afford the fee of 47,000/- can get admission in this college," said the student body.

AIDSO stated, "The government is putting all the financial burden on the students by exorbitant fees on the one hand and sanctioning 100 crores to build a new building on the other!"

Shortage of permanent lecturers

The student body also highlighted the shortage of permanent lecturers at UVCE. AIDSO questioned, despite these concerns, how the government can decide to allocate Rs 100 crores to build a new "IIT-type" campus at Jnanabharathi. This decision has left students and faculty questioning the government’s priorities, especially when the college is already struggling with a financial crisis every year.

"The government is putting all the financial burden on the students by exorbitant fees on the one hand and sanctioning 100 crores to build a new building on the other! Altogether a new campus raises questions about the attitude of the government.," read the AIDSO official statement.

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Heritage concerns over historic UVCE building

Another issue raised by AIDSO is the future of the heritage UVCE building at KR Circle, which has stood for over a century and was part of Visvesvaraya's vision for engineering education. The organization fears that the construction of a new campus may lead to the abandonment or neglect of the historic site, which holds immense cultural and educational value.

The AIDSO pointed, “The building in KR circle has a heritage of 100 and more years. It was Visvesvaraya's dream. Ever since the college was made a self-financed institution, students and teachers have been fighting every year to get funds from the government. In such a scenario for whose welfare is the new 100 crore building being built? In such a case, what will be the future of the existing building in KR circle?”

The student body is concerned about the long-term impact of these decisions on both the college’s heritage and academics. As per AIDSO, the government should reconsider its decision and focus on addressing the immediate issues in UVCE, such as the financial burden on students and the shortage of teaching staff.