Academic Council of Mangalore University approves affiliation of four new colleges for 2026-27 academic year

The Academic Council of Mangalore University in its meeting on Saturday approved the affiliation of four new colleges for the academic year 2026–27.

They are Mangala College of Management and Science at Pedamale village in Neermarga, for a certificate course in Yogic Sciences with an intake of 60 students; Nethrajyothi College at Kinnimulki, for a BSc in Food Nutrition and Dietetics with an intake of 60 students; Adyar Intellectuals College at Adyar, for Bachelor of Arts courses in English, Journalism and Psychology with an intake of 30 students; and Sham Institute, to offer BCA with an intake of 60 students.

It did not approve the affiliation of Prestige School of Management and Innovation at Jeppinamogaru for lack of having a building to offer classes. A Local Inspection Committee of the university had recommended that the management complete construction of the building and apply for affiliation next year.

In-charge Registrar and Director of the College Development Council (CDC), Ganesh Sanjeev told the meeting that any management will have to meet the minimum building requirement for starting a new college.

The Vice-Chancellor P. L. Dharma, who presided over the meeting, said the university had received 140 applications seeking affiliation for 2026–27, including from 33 government colleges and 102 private colleges. Three colleges — Anjuman First Grade College, Jokatte; Prerana College, Kodialbail; and Shree Bharathi College, Nanthoor — did not apply for renewing affiliation.

He said 131 colleges had applied for continuation of affiliation, 21 colleges for extension of affiliation, 28 colleges for permanent continuation of affiliation, and 11 colleges for new permanent affiliation. A total of 160 affiliated colleges come under Mangalore University in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

The Council also approved the change of name of Sri Venkatramana Women’s College, Karkala, to Sri Venkatramana First Grade College, Karkala, and Shirdi Sai Degree College, Karkala, to Excellence Professional Degree College, Karkala.

Fire, building safety mandatory

Prof. Dharma said the government has made building safety and fire safety mandatory for college buildings. As per the directions, colleges must have fire safety equipment, including fire extinguishers on every floor, and staff must be trained to handle them.

The government has made it clear that compliance with fire safety norms is mandatory for renewal and extension of affiliation, and institutions that fail to follow the guidelines will face difficulties in securing approvals.

Harvard Institute of Fire and Safety Engineering, Kankanady, has failed to obtain fire safety and building safety clearances from the competent authority. When the agenda regarding permission to shift the college to a new venue came up for discussion, officials said the college had shifted without informing the university.

“We cannot compromise on government policy,” Prof. Dharma said. In the interest of students, it was decided to direct the college management to submit fire safety documents by the end of this month to enable the university to upload them on the UUCMS portal for government approval. (EOM)