Drop proposal to start another law university, Basavaraj Horatti tells CM

The former chairman of the Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti has urged the State government to drop the proposal to establish another law university in Bengaluru.

In a letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Mr. Horatti has said that the Karnataka State Law University in Hubballi was established after a long struggle.

It became possible due to his efforts and the efforts of the then Law and Science and Technology Minister H.K. Patil and then Chief Minister late N. Dharam Singh.

“Subsequently, during the coalition government, when I served as the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, I brought the proposal to its logical conclusion, resulting in the official establishment of the Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) at Navanagar, Hubballi. The people of North Karnataka continue to remember these historic achievements with immense pride and respect,” he said.

“This institution has become an important foundation for the development of the educational and legal sectors in North Karnataka. However, it has recently come to light that the State government has decided to establish another ‘Karnataka State Law University’ in Bengaluru for South Karnataka,” he said.

“Such a decision will go against the basic spirit of Karnataka’s unification. It will also undermine the importance of institutions that have been established after years of struggle to address regional imbalances,” he said.

“Bengaluru already has more than 10 renowned deemed universities, including the National Law School of India University (NLSIU). In such circumstances, there is no need to establish another law university in Bengaluru. Instead, the State government should focus its attention on the KSLU in Hubballi which has been functioning since 2009. At present, the university has secured an A grade accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and student admissions have been increasing year after year,” he said.

“Despite this, the university still lacks even basic infrastructure such as a well-equipped administrative building and a proper library. In the absence of permanent faculty appointments, the institution is almost entirely dependent on guest lecturers. The State government’s continued neglect of the university is once again creating a sense of discrimination among the people of North Karnataka,” he said.

“Therefore, the State government should release a special grant required for the existing KSLU in Hubballi, provide the necessary infrastructure and take strong measures to fill all vacant permanent teaching and non-teaching posts in the university at the earliest,” Mr. Horatti said.