Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Aug 3: The newly-formed University of Horticultural Sciences (UHS), Bagalkote, has succeeded in attracting students from abroad for post-graduate and doctoral programmes within two years of its establishment, said prisons and horticulture minister Umesh V Katti.
Students from third world countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burundi, Malawai and Rwanda have enrolled in the university, which was started in 2008 for post-graduate and doctoral degree programmes.
Apart from UHS of Bagalkote, the minister said that there were only two horticultural universities in the country, in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Foreign nationals have registered in the university and they have been sponsored under the central government quota. In total, 920 students are pursuing their BSc and MSc (horticulture) in the current academic year. A total of 68 students enrolled for post-graduation studies, including 15 Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) students from all over the country, he said.
Katti said the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, has handed over Arabhavi, Bidar and Bagalkote colleges while University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, has handed over Mudigere College to UHS, Bagalkote, to carry out teaching.
There were nine colleges and one post-graduate centre working in the state under the jurisdiction of UHS. A sum of Rs 12 crore would be released for taking up various development works in the university campus in 2010-11, he said.
UHS has entered into a memorandum of understanding with A and M University, Texas, for implementing various programmes in the field of education and research in horticulture. Similarly, action is being taken to enter into MoUs with the UAS, Bangalore and Dharwad, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessarghatta, for taking up coordinated programmes in teaching and research, he said.
Stating that 187 teaching vacancies existed in the UHS, the minister said 518 non teaching posts have been sanctioned, of which 273 posts have been filled up and 357 posts are vacant. Steps would be taken soon to fill all vacancies, he added.