Belagavi, Jul 4 (DHNS): As many as 1,521 pre-university (PU) colleges in the state lacked adequate infrastructure and these institutions would be derecognised if they fail to provide the specified facilities by December 31, Minister of State for Primary 

and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar informed the Legislative Council on Friday.

Replying to a query by Patel Shivaram (JD-S), Ratnakar said these colleges have already been issued show-cause notices. The institutions have to submit an undertaking that they will meet the infrastructure requirements before December 31, he said.

The minister said the state has 4,515 PU colleges including 2,342 private unaided colleges. As per norms, a PU college should have 25,000 square feet site with prescribed buildings, toilet, library and other basic facilities.

Earlier, Shivaram lamented that a High Court order specifying that basic facilities should be provided at all PU colleges was not being followed by several institutions and officials were turning a blind eye to the lapses.

Replying to another question, he stated that more than 1,100 vacant posts in government PU colleges would be filled within two months. The government had released Rs 90 crore for construction of classrooms and priority would be given for building laboratories and toilets, Ratnakar said.

To another query, Ratnakar said that the Kumar Naik committee recommendations to revise the salaries of PU college lecturers was under consideration of the government. The revision would result in an additional burden of Rs 174 crore on the exchequer.

To a query by C H Vijayashankar (BJP), Ratnakar said as per the recommendation of the L R Vaidyanathan committee, yoga should be a part of physical training in schools. However, it is not compulsory. Yoga is being taught to students of classes one to six in schools with a strength of 500 and above, he said.