MU may merge administration of study chairs

The Mangalore University is planning consolidation of administrative mechanism of various peethas (study chairs) to reduce the administrative cost in the functioning of the peethas.

Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof K Byrappa said that the Syndicate of the varsity had constituted a three-member committee to look into the functioning of the peethas. The committee members are Prasanna Kumar Rai, Padekallu Vishnu Bhat and Sripathy Kalluraya.

The committee has decided to merge the administrative mechanism of two to three peethas to reduce the cost. “With this, the resources will be pooled and the fund will be utilised for various activities of the peethas. By pooling the resources, two to three peethas will be headed by one co-ordinator. At present, each peetha has one co-ordinator and office staff. The report by the committee will be placed before the approval in the next Syndicate meeting,” the vice chancellor said.

“The corpus fund of each peetha varies. The peethas function with interest from the corpus fund. If the administrative cost is reduced, then the fund can be utilised for the research activities as well as carrying out various lectures and other programmes through the peethas,” he said.

The Mangalore University has over 20 chairs and study centres—Ambigara Chowdaiah Adhyayana Peetha, Chair in Rural Banking and Management, Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Tulu Chair and others. The honorarium for the co-ordinator and staff are decided taking into consideration the budgetary provisions of every year. At present, a senior faculty of the PG departments, not below the rank of associate professor, is appointed as co-ordinator to organise activities in a peetha in addition to his/her regular duties as a faculty member.

Abbakka Peetha
Prof Byrappa said that the statute related to the Abbakka Adhyayana Peetha in Mangalore University would be placed for approval in the next Academic Council meeting after making a few changes.

The State government has sanctioned a sum of Rs one crore during 2015-16 for the establishment of Rani Abbakka Adhyayana Peetha in its order dated May 8, 2015. The Peetha will work towards reconstructing the history of Rani Abbakka and her dynasty, he said.