Mangalore University in its budget for 2014-15 has set aside Rs. 20 lakh for awarding scholarships to students who have excelled in basic sciences and mathematics, like last year.
It has reserved Rs. 1 crore each for constructing Pareeksha Bhawan, a hostel for research students, for starting work on its postgraduate centre at Belapu village in Udupi district, for setting up a study chair after social reformer Narayana Guru, and for constructing a building to house the Botony Department.
The Academic Council in its meeting on Wednesday approved a Rs. 3.70 crore deficit budget for 2014-15. The total receipts have been estimated at Rs. 176.13 crore and expenditure at Rs. 179.83 crore. In the 2013-14 budget, the deficit stood at Rs. 5.76 crore.
The budget for 2014-15 has reserved Rs. 5 crore for infrastructure development at its postgraduate centre at Chikkaluvaru in Kodagu district. It has reserved Rs. 50 lakh for constructing an auditorium-cum-seminar hall on the campus at Mangalagangotri.
It has reserved Rs. 1 crore for building B.R. Ambedkar Research Centre on the university campus. The budget has allocated Rs. 50 lakh for the beautification of the campus.
Vice-Chancellor T. C. Shivashankara Murthy told the council that a 400m track was constructed at the outdoor stadium of the campus. Pavilion and gallery would have to be built. The budget has reserved Rs. 1.10 crore for it for the next financial year.
Mr. Murthy said that though the government allowed universities to hike examination fees by 10 per cent every year, the university did not hike any fee in the past four years. He said that the university was managing its examination expenses from savings out of government grants.
RUSA grantMangalore University has sought Rs. 124.25 crore from the government under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), said Mr. Murthy. Addressing presspersons on the university campus on Wednesday, Mr. Murthy said that a proposal to this effect has been sent to the Karnataka State Higher Education Council, which would forward it to the Union Ministry for Human Resource Development for grants.
He said that the fund had been sought to start some innovative and integrated courses, recruitment of teachers, creation of new departments and construction of hostels and building other infrastructure.
Mr. Murthy said that it had been proposed to set up centres for the study of nano science, indigenous language and culture, food science technology, radiological science and bio-diversity conservation technology.