The Mangalore University is likely to lose 24 undergraduate colleges with the setting up of a new university in Kodagu. Decks have been cleared for the Kodagu University with the Karnataka Legislative Assembly passing a Bill last week, amending the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 to pave way for the constitution of eight new universities, including Kodagu University, which would be bifurcated from the jurisdiction of Mangalore University.

Kodagu is situated around 150 km from Mangaluru and is geographically and culturally a different territory. The Mangalore University has colleges in Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu and Udupi under its purview. The new Kodagu University would also have about 10 colleges that presently come under the University of Mysore. The largest and oldest college in Kodagu district is the Field Marshal K M Cariappa College at Madikeri. The Mangalore University postgraduate college and research centre on the Jnana Kaveri campus in Chikka Aluvara is proposed to be the headquarters of the Kodagu university.

K S Chandrasekharaiah, director of the centre, confirmed that Kodagu University administrative office is likely to be on the Chikka Aluvara campus. He said students in Kodagu now have to move to Mysuru or Mangaluru for post-graduate studies, which can be avoided if more job-oriented courses are provided on the Jnana Kaveri campus.

Madikeri MLA M P Appachu Ranjan has requested the government to provide 200 more acres of land to the Chikka Aluvara campus, which presently has 70 acres. The other universities proposed by the government in the Bill are to be set up at Koppal, Mandya, Bagalkot, Chamarajanagar, Bidar, Haveri and Hassan.

Mangalore University Vice-Chancellor prof P S Yadapadithaya said no official communication has been received so far on the formation of the Kodagu University. As per the new National Educational Policy (NEP), priority is being given to local universities which can provide good education and environment to students, he said.