Mount Carmel to open its doors for boys

Mount Carmel College, one of the most popular women’s colleges in the City, will enrol male students in its postgraduate courses from the next academic year.

In March 2015, the college had written to the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, expressing its wish to enrol male students to PG courses. The same was sent by the Higher Education secretary to the BU Vice-Chancellor in April. The Bangalore University approved the same in its Academic Council meeting here on Wednesday. The women’s college has been functioning in the City since July 1948.

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the meeting, BU Vice-Chancellor Prof B Thimme Gowda said the university had no problem with the college admitting male students. “We have approved it from our end. We will forward this to the State government.”

He said the BU would not restrict the ratio between male and female students in these courses. In fact, the varsity would also make a suggestion to the college to consider co-education for PhD as well.

According to college Principal Arpana, there was demand from boys for courses in electronics and nanotechnology. The college then decided to keep it open for wider section of students. The college will enrol boys from the next year as classes have already begun this time. The admission of boys would be restricted to a certain percentage and the classes would be conducted on the Vasanthnagar campus itself, for the time being.

Even though the college has been given autonomous status as far as academic matters are concerned, major changes have to be approved by the university. On the flip side, Mount Carmel may have to forego any grants meant exclusively for women’s college, university officials said.

Some academic council members also asked the V-C to direct the college to change its nomenclature and objected to the institution being called a Women’s College henceforth. However, the university officials did not take any decision in this regard.

As for the students, they are looking at tougher competition to get into courses in the college. “It was comparatively easy to get admission until now. Since there will be competition between the genders, getting admissions will be more difficult from now on,” said Namratha S S, a final year undergraduate student who is studying History, Journalism, Travel and Tourism.