The Bombay legislature of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency established Karnatak University through the Karnatak University Act 1949. It became a statutory University on 1st March 1950. The jurisdiction of the University covers Dharwad. Gadag, Haveri and Uttar Kannada districts. It has several Post Graduate centers. The University (888 acres) is offering courses in the faculties of Arts, Commerce, Education, Law, Management, Science and Technology and Social Sciences. Symbolic of the University’s vision and mission the emblem of the University consists of papal tree at the centre, an open book. Figures of a bull, a rising sun and the legend ‘Arive Guru’ i.e., Wisdom is Guru, implying that both wisdom and knowledge should be all pervading like the ramifying papal tree and light up the world with knowledge and eradicate illiteracy.There are 47 PG Departments, 224 teachers and 4500 students (PG, M.Phil., Ph.D.). The girl students constitute 47% of the tota strength. Including PG Diploma, M.Phil and Ph.D. Courses. 6% of the students are from outside the State. To eliminate social exclusion and promote social justice, seats are reserved for SC/ST, Cat-I, Minorities, OBC and BC categories in accordance with the policy of the State Government. One seat each is reserved for the children of ex-servicemen, freedom fighters, physically challenged and sportsmen. The University has its own High School (University Public School) since 1964. Which meets the practice requirements of the B.Ed College of Karnatak University.There are 5 constituent colleges offering UG and PG courses in science, arts, commerce, fine arts, law and education. There are 21 hostels in all, including a working women’s hostel and ladies hostels. These provide residential accommodation to 2600 students of UG and PG courses. Over the last 60 years the number of affiliated colleges has increased from a mere 34 to more than 250.All colleges except those offering professional courses in the districts of Dharwad including Dharwad city colleges, Gadag, Haveri and Uttara Kannada are affiliated to Karnatak University, Dharwad.Karnatak University's five colleges in Dharwad area are referred as constituent colleges. Administration is in the hands of Karnatak University. However, the affiliated colleges are managed by trusts. Examinations, textbooks and results are conducted by the universityThe bifurcation of districts and establishment of new universities in this region has reduced the affiliation coverage of Karnatak university to the present day districts of Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Haveri and Gadag.The university has the following faculties: science, management studies and social sciences. Medical science and engineering faculties were also present. However, the Government of Karnataka established Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences for medical science and Visvesvaraya Technological University for engineering. G.S. Paramasivaiah (former student of the Nobel laureate CV Raman) was the first principal of the Karnatak Science College. He was also the secretary of KLE Society Belgaum. He played an important role in founding of Karnatak University.In Karnataka Educationalists like G.S. Paramasivaiah along with S.S. Basavanal and S.C. Nandimath were associated with the committee. The Karnatak University came into existence in 1949.