Bhawanipur Global University Bill, 2024 passed in Assembly
Kolkata: The Bhawanipur Global University Bill, 2024 was passed in the Assembly with an aim of providing teaching, training and creating new opportunities for research works in various branches and specialised fields like skill development, vocational courses, hospitality, fashion and other fields of study.
State Higher Education minister Bratya Basu while taking part in the discussion on the floor of the House said that the Mamata Banerjee government has so far set up 46 universities across the state to ensure better access to higher education for those belonging to the economically-weaker section. Several private universities are also coming up across the state to make higher education more accessible and widen participation. In reply to a question posed by BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh where the university will be coming up, the minister told the Assembly that the private university will be set up at 7, BL Shah Road in Tollygunge on 4.25 acres of land. The university will begin its academic session from next year, Basu said. The state government is giving university status to the Bhawanipur Education Society College situated in Ward 70 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
In the face of Opposition MLAs’ question if the state government was trying to privatise the education system in the state, the minister said: “The number of state-sponsored universities in the state is much higher than the private universities. Bengal has the highest number of government-sponsored universities among all other states,” Basu said.
Citing some data the minister also added: “There are a large number of private universities in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. In Bengal, the number of government universities is higher. The main purpose of the government is to ensure that economically-challenged students can pursue higher education. The Chief Minister always created new opportunities in higher education for the economically-weaker section.” Taking a dig at the erstwhile Left Front regime, Basu said that there were around 11 universities when the current government came to power in 2011. The number has now gone up to 46.
Incidentally, the two other university Bills — ‘The Ramkrishna Paramhansa University Bill 2024’ and ‘The Rabindranath Tagore University Bill 2024’ — were passed in the Assembly on Tuesday.
