123 Kolkata: The state govt is set to approve three new universities. The education department has also decided to grant university status to a private college at the heart of the city.
Among the three new universities, one is planned within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) jurisdiction. The Bhawanipur Global University will be set up on over three acres of land in Tollygunge. The two other private universities are Rabindranath Tagore University in Dhaniakhali and Ramkrishna Paramhansha University in Barrackpore.
The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society, which currently operates The Bhawanipur Education Society College, is establishing a private university. The institution is expected to commence operations from the next academic session, pending necessary approvals. A higher education department official said, "This is the first time any private university will be set up in the KMC area."
On Wednesday, during the mid-day break, members of the Assembly attended a business affairs committee meeting in speaker Biman Banerjee's chamber. It was decided to extend the assembly session by one day. Additionally, bills for three new private universities in the state will be introduced and discussed next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Among these, the most talked-about bill is ‘The Bhawanipore Global University Bill 2024'. A college under the name ‘Bhawanipore Gujarati Education Society', located in Ward 70 of the KMC , is popularly known as Bhawanipore Education Society College. The state is now planning to recognise this college as a university.
The new bill will be introduced in the second half of the assembly session next Wednesday by education minister Bratya Basu. One hour has been allocated for passing the bill. Since the BJP legislative party does not attend meetings convened by the speaker, the BJP MLAs were informed of the extended session only after the meeting concluded.
The leaders of the Trinamool Congress legislative party have refrained from commenting on whether the chief minister will participate in the assembly discussion on the day her constituency receives university recognition.
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