‘Statute to be amended to recognise Mangalore University affiliated colleges as research centres’

Mangalore University (MU) Vice Chancellor Prof P S Yadapadithaya said that statute will be amended to recognise eligible affiliated colleges/constituent colleges as research centres, in Mangalore University jurisdiction.

He was addressing a gathering at the Academic Council meeting and said that colleges like Alva’s, Poornaprajna College, M V Shetty College and others had submitted applications to be recognised as research centres in MU.

As per the present statute, only laboratories of all-India nature or other institutions maintained by the Government of India where research work is being carried out and research institutions maintained by state government /quasi-government/autonomous institutions recognised by the government can be recognised as research centres.

Thus, the statutes need to be amended to give recognition to affiliated colleges. Till the amendment to statute gets approval from the governor, the deans will be asked to prepare guidelines for research centres, he said.

A professor working in affiliated colleges, who carries out research activities and has many publications needs to be recognised as a research guide as well, he added.

The VC said that there is a need to promote research activities as PhD qualification will be mandatory for teaching faculty to get selected in colleges after 2021.

Vocational courses

The Academic Council of the university also approved the starting of vocational courses in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and Data Analysis, Cloud Computing and Cyber Security along with BA and BBA programmes at Meredian College in Ullal.

Even syllabus for the course was also approved. The council also approved vocational courses in port management, cruise line operation, hospitality service, retail management and digital marketing to be introduced by Meredian College.

The VC said that a five-year integrated course in electronics will be introduced by MU in 2021. The syllabus for the third, fourth and fifth semester for the course has been approved in the Academic Council. The Academic Council has given permission to admit students who had passed two-year visual arts foundation course, offered by Kannada University in Hampi, for the Bachelor of Visual Arts course offered by Mangalore University. The university has decided to consider a two-year course as equivalent to a PU course offered by the government.

The Academic Council granted affiliation to St Lourdes Speech and Hearing College run by Kavitha Charitable Trust, subject to permission from Rehabilitation Council of India. Registrar Raju Mogaveera, Registrar (Evaluation) Prof P L Dharma and Finance Officer Prof B Narayana were present at the event.