Kengeri college students squeeze into classrooms vacated by school kids in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: At the Government First Grade College in Kengeri, around 300 students follow an unusual academic schedule, setting them apart from their peers.

Unlike traditional morning classes, their day begins at 12.30 pm, only after the 800 junior students vacate their classrooms.

This unconventional routine stems from the college’s struggle with inadequate infrastructure, affecting both students and faculty.

Situated on 1st Main Road in Kengeri Satellite Town, the college shares its premises with the Government High School. While the high school, with about 380 students, occupies the ground floor, the college operates on the second and third floors, serving around 1,100 students pursuing degrees in BA, BCom, BSc, BBA and BCA.

Uddith, a second-year commerce student, highlights the challenges. “Our classrooms are packed with 100 students each. While we manage with two larger classrooms, the rest are too small.”

This overcrowding forces some classes to convene in a large hall designed for 200 students, especially when the curriculum needs to be completed quickly.

The Government First Grade College at 1st Main Road Kengeri Satellite Town. It shares its premises with the Government High School.

Dr AV Lakshmi Narayan, the college principal, explained that the department had attempted to identify an alternative site for a dedicated degree college in Kengeri. "We secured about an acre of land nearby, but construction was halted due to a court stay. Later, another site in Ullal was considered, but we could not proceed as the location has about 1,500 trees," he said.

BM Shivashankar, a representative from the nonprofit Jayaprakash Vichara Vedike, stated that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had allocated four and a half acres in Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout for educational purposes 20 years ago. However, it wasn’t communicated to the Higher Education Department until the group petitioned MLA ST Somashekar to intervene.

BDA Chairman NA Haris confirmed that he approved the land allotment for the new degree college in Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout earlier this week.

Jagadeesha G, Commissioner of the Department of Collegiate and Technical Education, was unavailable for comment.