An expert committee will be constituted to examine the feasibility of starting an agriculture university in V.C. Farm of Mandya district in Karnataka, according to the budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on February 16.
According to sources, the government was earlier keen to announce the setting up of a new University of Agricultural Sciences in Mandya, but has now decided to move cautiously following opposition from prominent academicians and experts. Academicians, including former vice-chancellors, had expressed concern that carving out the new university from the existing UAS-Bengaluru would not be feasible for operations, as both would become very small and would not get international recognition. They had also argued that overheads would be high due to the small size of the proposed university in Mandya.
The Hindu had reported the government’s move to set up a new UAS in Mandya.