Mangalore University (MU) has announced the discontinuation of several postgraduate programs at its University College campus in Hampankatta, starting the academic year 2024-25. This decision has sparked criticism, as these programs were established to provide higher education opportunities.
The decision to shut down these courses was made by the university syndicate due to financial difficulties, despite some programs having a satisfactory number of admissions in previous years.
Senior faculty members at University College noted that except for MA in Tulu and Konkani, all other self-financed courses consistently enrolled more than 15 students each year. These programs were introduced to serve students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and were well-received until financial constraints forced their closure.
Raju Mogaveera, Registrar of Mangalore University, stated that each postgraduate course costs approximately ₹25 lakh per annum to run. Consequently, only a few courses will continue at the campus. The decision to continue MA courses in Tulu and Konkani will depend on meeting the minimum required admissions for the year.
The university will maintain second-year classes for the affected courses but will not admit new students.