Introduction

BLDE Association was established in 1910. It is committed to the cause of imparting quality education from primary to university in the backward region of North Karnataka. The Association is nurtured and shaped by great visionaries – Dr. P. G. Halakatti known as ‘Vachana Pitamah’ in Kannada Literature, Shri Shri Sanganabasaveshwar Maha Shivayogigalu of Banthanal, a great religious leader and Dr. B. M. Patil, a great statesman. Presently, the Association is guided by Dr. M. B. Patil, a young and dynamic leader.
BLDE Association sponsors and runs Primary Schools, High Schools, Pre-University colleges and degree colleges in the faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Management Education, Science, Fine Arts, Pharmacy, Nursing, Ayurveda, Nursery, Sericulture, Engineering and Polytechnics, Medical Sciences with post graduate courses and sponsors the BLDE University. All institutions, spread over villages, talukas and district headquarter, are supported and managed by the BLDE Association.
More than 100 years of its meaningful existence, the Association resolves and reaffirms to serve the cause of education and hence region, state and the country in the decades to come with greater commitment and dedication.

 BLDEA History

In the year 1942, a religious leader and a visionary Shri Shri Sanganabasaveshwar Maha Shivayogigalu of Banthanal laid a firm foundation to BLDEA by way of establishing various educational institutes. He played a significant role in developing the Association and found many Primary, Higher Secondary schools and colleges for Higher education.

In the 1960s another great visionary, Dr. B.M. Patil foresaw the potential and need of scaling up educational opportunities of the people of this region. With his vision and perseverance, he gave a new dimension to the functioning of the institutions under BLDEA and established new institutions to impart professional education. The Association established an Engineering College, Pharmacy College, Nursing College and a Medical College, along with a 1,000-bed teaching hospital, a first of its kind in the country.

A new era began in the 1990’s, when the son of Dr. B.M. Patil, Dr. M. B. Patil, a young and dynamic leader, took over the reins of BLDEA. His primary objective was providing quality education with modern concepts of liberalisation, globalisation and tremendous expansion in various new courses. He conceived the need for establishing a University and strived to build the BLDE (Deemed to be University), which came into existence on 29th February, 2008.

The BLDEA is propagating education in Bijapur and Bagalkot districts, which are recognised as socially, economically and educationally backward areas by the British Government and by present UGC, State Government and Central Government.

BLDEA sponsors and runs many Institutions in both rural and urban areas of Bijapur (now Vijayapura) and Bagalkot Districts. It includes Primary schools, High Schools, Pre-University Colleges, Degree colleges of Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Management, Education Science, Fine arts, Pharmacy, Nursing, Ayurveda, Nursery, Sericulture, Engineering & Polytechnic, Medical Sciences with Post Graduate courses; and sponsors the BLDE University in detail.

Establishment

Dr. P. G. Halakatti, a native of Dharwad and a visionary, known as ‘Vachana Pitamaha’, who migrated to Bijapur (present Vijayapura), founded the association initially in the name of ‘Bijapur Lingayat Educational Institute’, on October 23, 1910. In the year 1917, the ‘Bijapur Lingayat District Educational Association’ took over the ‘New English School’, a school then run by German-based Basel Mission Company. About 83 students were studying in the school then. Later it was renamed as Siddeshwara Secondary Education School. Thus the journey of BLDEA in imparting education commenced. BLDEA is presently a pioneer institution of North Karnataka, which has gained wide reputation and popularity among the people. As the number of students grew, Dr. P. G. Halakatti felt the need of owning a new building. Knowing the perseverance of Dr. P. G. Halakatti and development of the school, the State Govt. granted six acres of land to the Association, soon after the foundation was laid for the own school building.

Functioning with a concern for the overall development of North Karnataka, BLDEA established the Sri Siddeshwara Urban Cooperative Bank and started extending financial assistance to the poor people in the region. The mastermind behind the Cooperative Bank Dr. P. G. Halakatti along with extending various benefits to the poor also strove to strengthen the cooperative sector. As a result, a new era of empowerment in multiple areas like literature, social, educational and economic sectors began in North Karnataka.