Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 18: Mangalore University will introduce a digital valuation system for postgraduate (PG) course examinations from this June, a move expected to save significant time and effort, vice chancellor Prof P L Dharma said.

He was presiding over the Academic Council meeting held at the Rani Abbakka Auditorium of the university on Saturday.

Prof Dharma said that after examinations, answer scripts will be scanned and sent digitally to the concerned evaluators. The evaluators will be able to access the files using mobile OTPs. The system is currently in the pilot stage and will be implemented for PG examination valuation from June.

At present, the digital valuation system will be limited to PG courses as the number of candidates in undergraduate (UG) examinations is very high, making management difficult. Under the new system, evaluators will be given remote access, enabling them to carry out valuation securely from their respective locations, thereby reducing travel expenses to evaluation centres. Subject experts will train university staff for the implementation, he said.

There are fewer than 2,000 students enrolled in PG courses, with a total of about 17,000 answer scripts, making digital valuation feasible. The system will be implemented from the next semester examinations (second and fourth semesters). If successful, the university plans to extend the system to UG courses under its jurisdiction.

Printed marks cards:

Despite government directions to issue only soft copies of marks cards after UG results, the university has continued to provide printed marks cards for the benefit of students, as printed documents are required for overseas purposes. An explanation was submitted to the government in this regard and approval has been granted, Prof Dharma said.

Marks cards have already been issued to around 17,500 students who have completed their UG courses. The printing of PG marks cards is under progress, for which permission has been obtained from the state government.

Certificates mandatory:

For the current academic year, all colleges seeking affiliation with the university must mandatorily possess fire safety and building safety certificates. The council objected to a city college offering fire and safety courses shifting to another building without obtaining permission from Mangalore University. Although the college had applied for affiliation, it had not obtained the required fire and building safety certificates. It was decided that affiliation would be granted only if the necessary documents are submitted to the university by the end of this month.

Regarding affiliation of new colleges for the 2026–27 academic year, an application from a city college was rejected after a local inspection committee found that the institution did not have a building. The council decided that permission cannot be granted without proper infrastructure. This year, affiliation was approved for four new colleges.

Convocation in March:

The 44th convocation of Mangalore University will be held in the second week of March, likely between March 15 and March 20, Prof Dharma informed the council.

Registrar Prof Ganesh Sanjeev and registrar (evaluation) Prof Devendrappa were present at the meeting.