MANGALURU
For the first time, Mangalore University (MU) has earmarked ₹5 lakh as a seed grant to promote research activities among its faculty. The announcement was made during the first special academic council meeting, where the university presented its budget for the financial year 2025-26.
MU Vice-Chancellor Prof. P.L. Dharma stated that the grant aims to support at least five high-quality research proposals submitted by permanent faculty members. Each selected proposal will receive up to ₹1 lakh to encourage innovation and academic inquiry within the campus.
Addressing academic restructuring, Prof. Dharma confirmed the closure of the BA Travel and Tourism Management course at University College, Hampankatta—a constituent college of MU. It has been merged with the BBA programme, which will be further strengthened with increased intake and a mandatory one-semester internship. Additionally, the college will introduce a BCA course in the upcoming academic year.
Courses in constituent colleges with fewer than 30 admissions will be discontinued from 2025-26, citing economic non-viability and limited academic exposure due to reliance on guest faculty. MU plans to shift all postgraduate courses from constituent colleges to its main Konaje campus for better academic delivery.
The only exception will be the MBA in International Business at the Evening College, Hampankatta, which has seen strong enrolment. MU has also approached the state government to take over its constituent colleges to ensure better management and academic quality.