Varsity gifts plum contract to Yeddy’s son’s friend

The syndicate flouted all norms to award the estimated Rs 15-crore project to a man with barely any credentials

Varsity gifts plum contract to Yeddy's son's friend

The syndicate flouted all norms to award the estimated Rs 15-crore project to a man with barely any credentials

Bangalore University gifted away a Rs 15-crore business yesterday to a man reportedly close to the chief minister's son, and a relative of its disgraced registrar.

Uday Singh, an advocate, got the university's approval to set up a nodal agency that can fetch him at least Rs 15 crore a year.

The syndicate ignored all norms and opposition to issue nodal agency status to Bangalore Educational Resources, owned by Uday Singh.

The syndicate has introduced new courses such as MBA, MCA, BBA, BCS, and BSc in Animation.

The admission fee for MBA and MCA would be Rs 1 lakh, while the other degree courses are less expensive, said a syndicate member.

There will be a cap of 100 seats for the post-graduate courses, but unlimited seats for the degree courses.

Earlier, the university used to get 60 per cent of the fee. But the ratio is changing now, said the member.

Uday Singh is very happy to have bagged the deal. "I am happy that I got an opportunity to work in the education sector, and I will do it with all earnestness," he told MiD DAY.

He refuted allegations that he got the deal because of his connection with B Y Vijendra, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa's son. "He doesn't know me," Uday Singh said.

He even dismissed his connection with disgraced university registrar Sanjay Vir Singh: "He may be a distant relative, but I don't have any contact with him. He is from Uttar Pradesh, while I am a Bangalorean."

Bangalore Educational Resources Pvt. Ltd (BERPL) was floated a month ago. Uday Singh's father Ramprakash Singh is the chairman of the company.

Violations

In 2006, the syndicate had decided not to set up new nodal centres unless detailed norms and statutes for distance education were laid down.

But the syndicate has granted Uday Singh's company the nodal agency status without bothering about the statutes.

A P Ranganath, a syndicate member, was furious. "They are selling away the university blindly," he said.
He said would complain to the governor and the Lokayukta.

A dozen organisations vying for the contract are puzzled how Uday Singh got the contract. Registrar Sanjay Vir Singh declined to comment, and vice-chancellor Dr Prabhudev was not available.

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