Reeling from a financial crisis and citing a lack of students in double digits to manage a post-graduation programme, Mangalore University has finally discontinued admission of students to seven of its post-graduation programmes, including Tulu and Konkani, for 2024-25.
Though post-graduation classes began on October 7, the university waited a few days expecting students from other universities to join the programmes, and meet their target of students in double digits but to no avail.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university P. L. Dharma told The Hindu that in addition to Tulu and Konkani, admission of students to Electronics, Geo-Informatics, Environmental Science, Statistics and Mass Communication, and Journalism were suspended for 2024-25.
Master of Arts in Tulu and Konkani were offered at the University Evening College, a constituent college of the university, at Hampankatta which is on the verge of closure due to non-recognition from the government. The remaining five programs were offered at the Mangalagangotri campus of the university at Konaje.
11 students ready to join Tulu
Taking strong exception for discontinuing admission to Tulu, Subhaschandra Kanvathirtha, president, Alumni Association of Tulu Postgraduates, told The Hindu that the university has no reason for denying admission to Tulu as 11 students have applied to join the programme. It meets the double-digit benchmark fixed by the university for admission.
“Initially 15 students had applied to join Tulu program. But the university hiked the tuition fee for the program steeply from about ₹ 11,000 to ₹ 23,000 per annum. Later four students backed out,” he said criticising the university for hiking the fee.
Ganapathi Gowda, in charge principal of the University College Mangaluru, agreed that 11 students had applied for Tulu. The college has sent the same to the university to make a decision. “So far no student has been admitted to Tulu programme for the current academic year,” he said.
The Tulu program had been introduced in the college six years ago in 2018-19. In all, 78 students have passed out since then with 12 students pursuing second year of the programme now in 2024-25.
About two years ago, Mr. Kanvathirtha said, the university hiked the tuition fee for all postgraduate programmes from ₹ 11,000 to ₹ 14,000. After students opposed it, the syndicate of the university agreed to withdraw the hike to Tulu program and it was reverted considering Tulu as a special case as it is the common language of the masses of Dakshina Kannada.
“But now again the fee has been hiked intentionally to ensure that students should back out and hence the programme can be winded up as the university has no money to pay for its guest teachers,” Mr. Kanvathirtha, an alumnus of 2018-19 batch, alleged. “It is surprising that none of the elected representatives of the coastal belt have taken this seriously. But the Tulu PG programme should be retained in the interest of Tulu in academics,” he said.
Shivarama Shetty, an alumnus of 2022-23 batch, alleged that there is a systematic plan to phase out the program which is pursued by those having real interest in Tulu as students are certain that presently there is no job opportunity for Tulu post graduates.
The Vice-Chancellor said that he is yet to look into the matter of applications of 11 students forwarded to the university as he was out of office for some days. “But over a month has passed since the post graduate classes began,” he said. (EOM)
Published – November 10, 2024 07:59 pm IST
