In a significant push for agricultural education in coastal Karnataka, Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Manjunath Bhandary has formally requested a substantial budgetary allocation of Rs 10 crore for the 2025-26 financial year. The funds are intended for the comprehensive upgrade and development of the main campus and constituent colleges under the Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (KSNUAHS) in Shivamogga.
A Long-Pending Demand for Coastal Karnataka
In a detailed letter addressed to the undersecretary of the state's agriculture department, MLC Bhandary highlighted a chronic gap in higher agricultural education in the region. He pointed out that despite the coastal belt being agriculturally significant, it lacks any postgraduate or degree-level agricultural college. The focus of his appeal is the Brahmavar Zonal Research Centre, which was established back in 1982.
The existing Diploma (Agriculture) College at Brahmavar, operational since 2014-15, is at the heart of this demand. Bhandary's proposal seeks its elevation to an undergraduate degree-level agricultural college. This demand is not new; it traces its roots to 2010 when the then chief minister directed the government to allocate Rs 5 crore for developing the Brahmavar Regional Research Centre.
Subsequent approvals and directives have followed but without full implementation. The state budget for 2010-11 approved starting an agricultural college from the 2012-13 academic year. Later, on February 6, 2020, the then agriculture minister and deputy chief minister directed the government to commence the BSc (Agriculture) course at Brahmavar from the 2020-21 academic year. Most recently, the 33rd coordination committee meeting on March 5, 2024, reaffirmed the decision to upgrade the diploma college.
University's Role and Current Challenges
The Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (KSNUAHS) in Shivamogga, which began functioning independently on April 1, 2013, is a unique integrated institution. It serves seven districts across coastal, Malnad, semi-Malnad, and plains regions, offering education, research, and extension in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry.
Under its jurisdiction, colleges like the Brahmavar Diploma (Agriculture) College, Agricultural College Navile in Shivamogga, Horticulture College Hiriyur, and Horticulture College Mudigere are experiencing high student enrolment. This success, however, has created an urgent need for enhanced infrastructure, including additional hostel accommodation, staff quarters, and strengthened basic facilities.
Finance Department's Hurdle and the Way Forward
Despite the clear regional need and historical directives, the proposal faces a significant obstacle. The state's finance department has previously rejected the upgrade plan, citing the existence of a sufficient number of agricultural colleges in Karnataka and a lack of justification for new institutions.
MLC Bhandary argues that this stance could lead to the underutilisation of skilled human resources and costly physical infrastructure already created by the government. He emphasized that agriculture is the backbone of the country, and upgrading the Brahmavar college is imperative to strengthen the sector and improve farmers' livelihoods, thereby fulfilling a long-standing demand of the coastal people and farming community.
The demand for Rs 10 crore in the upcoming budget is now a critical test of the government's commitment to addressing this educational disparity and investing in the future of agriculture in coastal Karnataka.
