Funds crunch: Will Hampi's Kannada University collapse just like Hampi?

The Kannada University, the only one in India dedicated to research in one language, is battling an existential crisis. Lack of funds have forced it to axe two courses while its student strength has drastically fallen.

The situation is so serious that the power distribution company of the region disconnected power supply to the university not once but twice over non-payment of dues last year.

Of the 72 on the teaching staff, as many as 35 have attained superannuation. But the vacant posts have not been filled.

Student population is down

All this has affected the enrolment of students. From over 440 students doing research in the language, culture and history of Kannada, the number crashed to 100 in the last academic year, forcing the university to close down two courses.

It is a sad story of official and intellectual neglect of what the university sought to achieve when it came up in 1991 near Hampi, the capital of the erstwhile Vijayanagar empire

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The university’s birth followed demands to promote Kannada literature, traditions, culture and folklore. With no regional jurisdiction, its research study courses have broken the disciplinary boundaries to create new ground in native knowledge production.

Now, in a desperate move to save the university, litterateurs, educationists and seers of various religious institutions including Pandita Shivacharya Swamiji of Sanehalli and education activist Dr Niranjanaradhya VP have written an open letter to the government seeking badly needed funds.

Governments to blame

A cross section of the university including teaching and non-teaching staff as well as research scholars told The Federal that successive governments, especially of the BJP, are to blame for the crisis.

According to them, the university got neglected in the government’s enthusiasm to promote Sanskrit. Documents with The Federal support the allegations.

While the BJP government released to the university Rs 50 lakhs each in 2020-21 and 2021-22, the Congress government in the state gave Rs 5.20 crore in 2013-14, Rs 25.10 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 4.60 crore in 2023.

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Promotion of Sanskrit

“But the actual requirement is Rs 7.50 crore a year for a smooth functioning of this university,” said vice chancellor DV Paramashivamurthy.

In contrast, the Karnataka Sanskrit University (KSU) has seen a rapid growth since it was established by the BJP government in 2010.

The BJP government granted Rs. 324 crore and 100 acres of land for the Sanskrit University at Magadi. Then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai laid its foundation stone in 2022.

Congress too lethargic

According to former Deputy Chief Minister Ashwathanarayana, the new campus of KSU in Tippasandra-Maradighatta within Magadi is now ready for inauguration.

“The BJP government promoted Sanskrit but did not show any interest in saving the ailing Kannada University,” a professor in Kannada complained bitterly.

But the Congress government too seems to be apathetic vis-à-vis the Kannada university, according to sources in the educational institution.

Not enough funds

Although Chief Minister Siddaramaiah put up a note to the finance department to release funds to the university, the matter has been forwarded to the higher education department.

According to informed sources, the university has to clear dues to the tune of Rs 2.63 crore to contractors, who provided human resources, mainly Group C and D employees. The dues have accumulated since 2021.

However, whatever funds were released was spent to disburse the salaries of guest lecturers, non-teaching staff and contract employees.

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Corruption in university?

But one assistant professor blamed successive vice chancellors except the initial ones for maladministration and misuse of funds.

“The department of higher education is taking care of salaries and pensions of permanent staff, which form a large chunk of funds required for the university. Funds are also being accrued through internal sources,” he alleged.

“But the funds are being misused by the university administration. During the BJP regime, those at the helm sought kickbacks for every rupee released”, he alleged.

Despite the paucity of funds, the university is trying its best to promote Kannada across the globe. It is set to strike an agreement with a US-based firm to teach and popularize Kannada language in the United States, says the vice chancellor.

But the fact remains that the unending funds crunch has hampered the university’s mission to promote research and publication related to Kannada language and literature.

Promise money doesn’t come

It has published more than 1,500 research papers related to Kannada. According to a senior university official, it needs at least Rs 5 crore annually, which it used to receive a decade ago.

In December 2023, the vice chancellor submitted a proposal to the Karnataka governor requesting Rs 5 crore. The government agreed to allocate funds from the Governor’s discretionary quota. But the money never came.

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Will university die like Hampi?

The university is supposed to pay Rs 4 lakh a month for power supplied by Gulbarga Electricity Supply Co Ltd, which cut supply twice last year over non-payment of dues.

A retired professor who spoke on the condition of anonymity warned that if the government failed to come to the university’s rescue, the “university will meet the fate of Hampi”.

The once-flourishing Hampi collapsed after the Vijayanagar Empire crumbled.