Public universities on the brink, urgent reforms needed: Mahamaitri

Janandolana Mahamaitri, Mysuru, has expressed serious concern over the condition of public universities in the State, saying their survival is at stake due to multiple factors, and demanded urgent steps to strengthen teaching facilities.

The organisation urged the State government to prioritise the appointment of permanent faculty members, pointing out that vacancies are steadily increasing, instead of utilising funds for bodies such as the Higher Education Council, which it alleged are being used to provide positions to former Vice-Chancellors.

In a press release here, Mahamaitri also called for the establishment of a new Higher Education Commission to safeguard the future of universities. The proposed commission, it said, should function under the leadership of education experts, with support from efficient officers of the Finance and Higher Education Departments. It further demanded that all financial matters of universities be disclosed transparently on the commission’s website.

Seeking a detailed inquiry into the affairs of the University of Mysore, the organisation said steps must be taken to protect the sanctity of the institution built by eminent personalities such as Kuvempu. It also demanded the constitution of a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to probe the issues plaguing the university and examine the complaints, and submit a report to the Chief Minister.

These demands were placed at a press conference here on Saturday (January 3, 2026), addressed by Mahamaitri convenor Ugra Narasimhe Gowda and others.

The organisation also took exception to the frequent changes of Principal Secretaries in the Higher Education Department and alleged that the Minister for Higher Education had not taken serious steps to address the problems faced by the public universities.

It also sought clarity on the status of the Prof. Sukhdev Thorat Committee report after the State government rejected the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and announced its intent to introduce a State education policy. There has been no discussion on the report, submitted long ago, nor any indication of its implementation, the organisation said, and questioned whether it would be made available for public debate.

Taking strong exception to the University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor’s reported move to restrict protests on the campus, Mahamaitri alleged in the release that “delays” in appointing guest faculty in colleges such as Maharaja’s and Yuvaraja’s Colleges, owing to the shortage of permanent faculty, have adversely affected academic activities.

The organisation also raised concerns over delays in releasing pensions to retired employees of the University of Mysore.