Bengaluru, Aug 3: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy led coalition government of Karnataka has decided to make yoga a mandatory extra-curricular activity in all universities and colleges in the state starting this academic year.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting with Vice Chancellors and officials of all universities in the State, here yesterday, Higher Education Minister G T Deve Gowda said: “Currently, only some universities have courses in yoga. But we want all higher education institutions in the State to ensure that their students practise yoga regularly.”
A committee has been formed to oversee the modalities of implementing the initiative. “It will examine the frequency and the design of the programme,” he added.
While several principals, students and teachers welcomed the move, college managements said that they would find it difficult to rope in trained yoga teachers. “It has also been made mandatory in schools to teach yoga, and we will find it difficult to rope in qualified yoga practitioners,” said the principal of a private college in the city.
The Higher Education Minister also felt the need for subject experts in colleges. “I have learnt that for several years, science lecturers are teaching commerce, and vice-versa. This practice will now be stopped,” he said, adding that the problem of staff shortage could be solved as the Finance Department had given its approval to appoint 5,000 teachers in higher education institutions.
In the wake of allegations of corruption in some universities during the examination process, Mr. Gowda said there was a need for State-run universities to seek help from government agencies for assistance in setting up online portals and procuring marks card. “Few universities have already issued tenders and some are in the process of finalising the same. We will stop all these tendering processes and ask the universities to adopt only government services,” he said.
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