Delay over new PU colleges threatens rural girls’ education

Hubballi, 

Three pre-university (PU) colleges sanctioned for Dharwad district last year with the objective of enabling rural girls to pursue higher education are yet to be inaugurated. While students in urban areas can easily plan their future after SSLC, many girls in rural areas continue to struggle due to the lack of nearby colleges and the inability to travel to cities for further studies. There are several instances of girls from rural parts of the district discontinuing their education because higher educational institutions are not available in or near their villages.

Keeping this in mind, the state government last year sanctioned PU colleges at Koliwad in Hubballi taluk, Devikoppa in Kalaghatagi taluk, and Veerapur in Dharwad taluk. The School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs) of the government high schools at Koliwad, Devikoppa, and Veerapur have already given their consent for starting the colleges and are awaiting further orders from the government. During the 2025–26 academic year, 67 students were enrolled in Class 10 at the Koli wad Government High School.

The school also has three additional classrooms available and is spread across three acres of land, providing ample scope for constructing new buildings if required. Despite this, the college has not yet been started. Authorities have already submitted all necessary information regarding the availability of infrastructure at the three locations. Despite this, questions remain as to what obstacles are preventing the colleges from becoming operational.

Residents are also questioning why the government, which was enthusiastic about sanctioning the colleges, has not taken the next step to make them functional. They fear that continued delays could deprive rural girls of opportunities for higher education. With SSLC results already announced, students are now waiting for admissions to begin. Villagers have urged the government to immediately issue a notification regarding the commencement of the colleges and instill confidence among students.

The district Pre-University Education Department and the state government need to take immediate action in this regard. While all three high schools have agreed to accommodate the PU colleges, Veerapur in Dharwad taluk faces some challenges related to space and classroom availability. However, local residents believe these issues can be resolved.  

Plea for exerting pressure

In October 2024, the Office of the Deputy Director of School Education wrote to the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka Department seeking infrastructure details for the upgradation of three high schools in Dharwad district into Senior Secondary Schools under a programme of the Union Ministry of Education. Accordingly, details regarding student strength, availability of classrooms, science laboratories, and other infrastructure facilities were submitted. Since all procedural requirements have been completed, students and parents have urged the district in-charge minister, MLAs, and other public representatives to exert pressure on the government and ensure that the colleges become operational without further delay.