Mangalore University to confer honorary degrees to entrepreneurs on March 29

Mangaluru: Mangalore University will confer honorary doctorate degrees (Honoris Causa) on entrepreneurs SCDCC Bank Chairman M N Rajendra Kumar, Rohan Monteiro and industrialist Kanyana Sadashiva K Shetty during the 43rd annual convocation to be held at Mangala auditorium at the campus on March 29.

Vice Chancellor Prof P L Dharma said that the university had received 15 nominations for the Honoris Causa. Members of the syndicate submitted it to the three- member committee to verify and recommend names to the governor. All three will be conferred Honoris Causa in the field of social service.

Vice President of Association of Indian Universities and Vice Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai Prof V N Rajasekharan Pillai will deliver the convocation address. Chancellor Thawar Chand Gehlot will preside and confer the degrees to all the candidates.

He said Mangalore University will award 64 Doctor of Philosophy degrees (Arts- 12, Science- 38, Commerce- 11 and Education - 03). Out of 64 PhD candidates, 31(48.43 per cent) are women and 33 (51.56 per cent) are men. There are a total 127 rank holders, out of which 67 (PG - 49 and UG –18) students are 1st rank holders (Faculty of Arts- 18; Faculty of Science and Technology- 39; Faculty of Commerce- 08; Faculty of Education- 02). It is the convocation for the NEP batch students who passed out during 2023-24.

Earlier, the cash prize amount was meager as it was based on the interest accrued from the deposit given by those who instituted cash prize. Now, the university has decided to ensure that students get a minimum of Rs 500 as cash prize from its internal sources.

Total students

Registrar (evaluation) Dr H Devendrappa said a total of 25,387 students appeared for PG and UG University examinations during 2023-24, out of this 18,723(73.75 per cent) students have passed. Among these, there are 6,896 (36.83 per cent) are boys, 11826 (63.16 per cent) are girls and one transgender. In PG programmes, as many as 3,331 students had appeared for the examinations, of which 3,152 (94.63 per cent) have passed. 906 are boys, 2245 (girls) and one transgender among the students, who passed the exams.

In UG programmes, 22,056 students had appeared for the examinations, of which 15,571 (70.60 per cent) had passed. As it was a NEP batch, the students were given grades—2117 students has secured o+ grade, 5852 students (O grade), 7451 (A+), 3119 (A grade), 163 (B+ GRADE), 20 (B grade) and 1 (C grade).

To a query on decline in pass percentage under NEP in UG programmes, the V-C said that there was confusion for students on choosing electives and optional papers under NEP. As a result, the enrollment for UG programmes was also less. This year, the enrolment has increased with the introduction of three major systems and the pass percentage will increase in the coming years.

Even before the academic council and syndicate of Mangalore University approved the names of honorary doctorate degrees approved by the governor, two flexes wishing Rohan Monteiro and Rajendra Kumar had come up on the road leading to the university. However, it was removed later.