Bengaluru City University (BCU) is a state public university located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. It was established to serve as one of the successor institutions to the older Bangalore University, which was bifurcated to ease administrative load and improve academic oversight of the large number of affiliated colleges in the Bengaluru region.
| Type | State public university |
|---|---|
| Established | 2017 |
| Location | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Jurisdiction | Bengaluru Urban district |
| Predecessor | Bangalore University |
| Headquarters | Central College Campus, Bengaluru |
Background
For several decades, Bangalore University was the principal affiliating university for higher education in the Bengaluru region, with hundreds of colleges under its jurisdiction. The large size of the university created administrative and academic challenges, prompting the Government of Karnataka to consider trifurcation. Following legislative approval, the original Bangalore University was reorganised into three separate universities, with Bengaluru City University taking charge of colleges in the central and urban parts of the city.
Establishment
Bengaluru City University was carved out of Bangalore University following the Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Act, with the bifurcation taking effect in 2017. The university is headquartered at the historic Central College Campus on Palace Road in Bengaluru, a site associated with higher education in the city since the colonial era.
Academics
BCU is primarily an affiliating university, with a large number of degree colleges across Bengaluru offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes under its umbrella. The university offers courses across the faculties of arts, science, commerce, management, law, and education. Postgraduate departments operate from the Central College Campus, while affiliated colleges deliver undergraduate teaching across the city.
Faculties and programmes
- Arts and Humanities
- Science
- Commerce and Management
- Law
- Education
Campus
The university's headquarters are situated at the Central College Campus in central Bengaluru. The campus, which traces its origins to the nineteenth century, contains several heritage academic buildings and continues to serve as a hub of higher education in the city.
Significance
The creation of Bengaluru City University reflected a broader policy of decentralising university administration in Karnataka. By restricting BCU's affiliating jurisdiction to a defined zone of the city, the state aimed to allow more focused academic governance, improved examination administration, and closer engagement with the affiliated colleges.
Related topics
- Bangalore University
- Bengaluru North University
- Central College, Bangalore
- Higher education in Karnataka
- Government of Karnataka
- Universities in Karnataka
References
- Wikidata entry: Q65090067
- Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Act provisions on the bifurcation of Bangalore University.