For the first time in its century-long history, the University of Mysore finds itself in a deep crisis, struggling to meet its pension obligations. This alarming situation is a direct result of dwindling funds and a lack of crucial support from the State government.
Each month, the university is tasked with disbursing a staggering ₹9.5 crore to approximately 1,977 retired employees. For several months now, making these essential payments has been an uphill battle, prompting the administration to plead with the government to shoulder this entire financial burden.
The severity of this issue was brought to light during a recent academic council meeting held at Crawford Hall on Wednesday. Vice-chancellor N.K. Lokanath led the discussion, attended by key university officials and council members.
During the meeting, MLC Vivekananda raised concerns about the delayed pension payments. In response, the Vice-chancellor confirmed the university’s dire financial state, attributing the delays to a significant revenue shortfall and reiterating their urgent request for government assistance.
Vivekananda pointed out that despite repeated appeals, the government hasn’t yet taken on the responsibility for these expenses. He emphasized that the university has been struggling to scrape together funds from its own limited reserves to keep pension payments flowing, but warned, “This simply isn’t sustainable in the long run with our dwindling resources.”
He pledged to personally escalate the matter, promising to discuss the university’s plight with both the Chief Minister and the Minister for Higher Education. Vivekananda highlighted that the university’s financial woes are compounded by a reduced operational jurisdiction, following the creation of several new universities across various districts.
A university official elaborated on the immense difficulty, explaining that the current deficit makes it nearly impossible to manage pension payouts while also covering numerous other essential operating costs.
This marks the third consecutive year the University of Mysore has faced a significant revenue shortfall. For the 2025-2026 academic year, projected receipts of ₹295.59 crore are far outstripped by an anticipated expenditure of ₹403.31 crore, leading to a staggering deficit budget of ₹107.72 crore.
A major contributor to this severe revenue gap is the ever-increasing cost of pensions for its growing number of retired staff. While ₹169.19 crore goes towards current employee salaries, a substantial ₹157.54 crore is allocated for pensionary expenses. So far, the government has only provided ₹50 crore for these pension payments.
Consequently, the university has been persistently urging the government to assume full responsibility for pension expenditures, as it simply cannot bridge the current funding gap on its own. The Vice-chancellor warned, “Without additional revenue, it will become exceptionally challenging for the university to continue paying pensions in the months ahead.”