Mangalore University (MU) plans to commence the new academic year earlier than usual to recover from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to H. Devendrappa, Registrar (Evaluation), the new academic year is set to begin in mid-July as part of the state education policy aimed at correcting the academic gap.
Before the pandemic, undergraduate colleges typically reopened in June, benefiting students planning to pursue postgraduate studies abroad. However, post-pandemic adjustments have delayed the academic calendar, inconveniencing fresh graduates. Moreover, holding classes during the peak summer season has been challenging due to extreme heat.
Despite the state government’s guidelines to start the academic year in early July, the ongoing examination process necessitates a slight delay. MU is now considering starting the new academic year by the second week of July. Last year, the academic year began in the second week of August. The final decision may depend on feedback from college heads.
MU has already conducted several meetings regarding the syllabus under the state-specific policy, which reverted to a three-year UG course, scrapping the four-year UG course as per the National Education Policy 2020. The Board of Studies has met multiple times, and a meeting with college principals is scheduled for July 8 to finalize the start date.
Vice-Chancellor PL Dharma emphasized that the priority is to announce the results of sixth-semester students who need to enroll for higher studies or enter the job market. The new academic calendar has been approved and aims to begin classes in mid-July.