Shreyas H S
Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady
Beltangady, Aug 2: Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (SDM) College, Ujire, is currently accredited and recognized with the status of autonomous institution with potential for excellence, and if all goes smoothly, it is likely to attain the status of university.
The proposal to secure university status has been sent under the meticulously carved centrally-sponsored programme listed in the new flagship scheme RUSA (Rashtriya Uchahatar Shiksha Abhiyan) to the Department of Collegiate Education of the state. The state’s Higher Education Council will scrutinize the proposal in a short time, following which, this committee will decide on upgradation to proposed university status.
Along with SDM, St Aloysius College (autonomous), Mangalore has also sent the proposal to upgrade the institution to the level of university under a similar scheme. According to regional joint director, Department of Collegiate Education, Mangalore Siddaramu, as many as 62 colleges—31 aided and 27 government colleges—have submitted the proposal on various programmes (components) earmarked in the RUSA.
Dr P N Udaychandra, district co-ordinator, RUSA for aided colleges, who is also the registrar of SDM, said, “The component of raising the status to university level will be funded both by the central and state governments. Of the proposed budget, 60 percent will be granted by the central government and 35 percent by the state government,” he added.
He observed that the proposed idea will bring in reforms, reshaping the pattern of education in the college. According to Udaychandra, SDM sent the proposal on learning that the institution qualifies as per the eligibility criteria. “As per the guidelines of RUSA, the institution must have a minimum campus area of 10 acres. The college has ample land to establish the required administrative section apart from an already well-built campus. The college had constituted a core committee comprising of HODs from various streams prior to drafting the proposal,” he added.
He argued that the college, which presently emphasizes on equality, access, and quality, the key motto of RUSA, after becoming a university, could uphold the same in a more meaningful manner.
Dr B Yashovarma, principal of SDM College, expressing confidence on achieving the university status, said, “Partial freedom, which the college currently has, prevents it from implementing new policies. We lack absolute freedom as the college has to follow a few norms formulated by the University of Mangalore.”
The enhancement of the college to university status will boost the internal independence of the college. The intake of the students, in terms of seats, could be raised as against the rule of Mangalore University.
He specified two key policy plans and said the college is mulling over introduction of research programmes and credit-based choice system at the graduate level. This, however, cannot be registered with the status of autonomy.