'Varsity of potential excellence' tag for Karnatak Varsity

The Karnatak University in Dharwad has another feather in its cap. It has secured the University of Potential Excellence (UPE) tag from the University Grants Commission. The tag entails a special grant of Rs 50 crore for five years for take up research and development work.

KU V-C H B Walikar said, Karnatak University was among the six varsities to bag the UPE tag from the UGC. The other varsities selected for UPA are Mysore University, Banaras Hindu University, Banaras, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Gurunanakdev University, Amritsar, and Rajasthan University, Jaipur. While 36 universities had applied for the UPE tag, 10 had been called for presentation and finally six were selected.

The university had passed two levels of presentations before the UGC and recently made the final paper presentation before the UGC high-level committee. Apart from the vice-chancellor, the KU team consisted of registrar S B Hinchigeri, H M Maheshwaraiah (holistic development), K B Gudasi, S S Benchalli and B M Swami (drug designing and intelligent machines).

The Karnatak University has been asked to revisit the focus area, plan for holistic development and the budget proposed by the university, and send the same within a week for the UGC to release the funds.

Walikar said the focus area would be anti-tumour activity that has been taken up by the departments of Biochemistry, physics, genetics, botany and zoology. The varsity has prepared a budget for Rs 25.9 crore for taking up research under focus area and Rs 27.8 crore for infrastructure development and campus development. New buildings, utility centres, placement cells, water conservation, preservation of culture and heritage among others will be taken care of under infrastructure development, the V-C said.

B M Swamy, a professor of the PG department of studies in Biochemistry, said the UPE tag would help the varsity immensely as it would provide funds for taking up research and extension activities.

He said, the department of Biochemistry has been working on anti-cancer drugs for the last 15 years and the results thus far have been encouraging. With UGC’s help the research will be taken to a logical end, he said.

Registrar S B Hinchigeri who is a professor in the department of Zoology said the varsity had been preparing for the UPE since last several years and the efforts had yielded result.

Ratnakar of the PG department of Political Science who is special officer planning and development said the UPE tag would enable the varsity to enhance research work, teaching, learning, placement and provide extra facilities.