With three of the five existing constituent colleges of Mangalore University awaiting formal approval from the State government, the university is all set to open its sixth constituent college (owned and managed by the university) at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada in the academic year 2021-22.
Except the two old constituent colleges of the university, one, the University College in Hampankatta and the other, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa College in Madikeri, three constituent colleges, University College at Nelyadi, University College on Mangalagangotri campus and the University Evening College in Hampankatta, which were opened in the recent years, still do not have the formal approval of the government.
Of these, the University Evening College and the University College on Mangalagangotri campus are over five years old. The two came into being in the academic year 2015-16 and the college at Nelyadi, which is over three years old, was opened in the academic year 2018-19 when K. Byrappa was the Vice-Chancellor.
They do not have permanent faculty, non-teaching staff, their own buildings and other basic amenities.
Amid such a scenario, the Syndicate, the highest decision-making body of the university, has agreed to open another constituent college in Moodbidri.
A communique from the university said on Sunday that Minister for Higher Education, IT and BT, Science and Technology, Skill Development C.N. Ashwath Narayan will symbolically inaugurate the new constituent college which will be temporarily housed in a school building at Bannadkka, Moodbidri, at a function on the Mangalagangotri campus of the university on Monday.
Vice-Chancellor of the university P.S. Yadapadithaya and Registrar (administration) C.K. Kishor Kumar told The Hindu that the statutes of three constituent colleges opened in the recent years are awaiting approval of the State government.
The approval is expected within one month, the Vice-Chancellor said.
Mr. Yadapadithaya said that temporary teachers, non-teaching staff will be appointed to the new college which will offer BBA, B.Com and BCA courses. The university will have to bear the salaries of temporary staff from its internal resources. It will appoint principals for the colleges at Nelyadi and Moodbidri on temporary basis. A notification for appointment will be issued in a few days.
The Registrar (administration) said that the statute of the new college which will come up in Moodbidri is yet to be sent to the government for approval as the Syndicate cleared it only a few days ago.
A former president of the Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) Hayavadana Upadhya said that the university should first set its existing constituent colleges in order. Later, it should open new colleges.
The three colleges opened in the recent years do not have library and laboratory. It should first appoint permanent faculty, non-teaching staff in those colleges and provide basic infrastructure. Otherwise, the quality of education will suffer.
“Opening new colleges just for increasing quantity and by bowing to pressure without focusing on maintaining quality will be an injustice to students,” he said.
