The Bombay legislature of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency established the Karnatak University through the Karnatak University Act 1949. It became a statutory University on 1st March 1950. The jurisdiction of the University covers Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri and Uttar Kannada districts. It has several Post Graduate centres. The university 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 a pipal 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 pipal tree and light up the world with knowledge and eradicate illiteracy.
The University in its formative years had the leadership of Dr. D.C. Pavate as the Vice-Chancellor (1954-1967) who gave it a shape all its own with symmetry that merges with the environ that spells harmony. The rocky edifice built in magnificent style is a tribute to his genius as the architect with a matching academic input, the faculty, to earn the campus the name, Pavate Nagar for posterity.
There are 43 PG Departments, 222 teachers and 5000 students (PG, M. Phil., Ph.D.). The girl students constitute more than 50% of the total strength, including PG Diploma, M. Phil. and Ph.D. courses. 6% of the students are from outside the state. To eliminate social exclusion and to 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 sportsperson. The University has its own Primary & High School (The University Public School) since 1964, which meets the practice requirements of the B. Ed. College of Karnatak University.