Fri Jul 18 13:15:21 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
Mangalore University’s Academic Council has approved granting autonomy to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) College in Udupi. This decision follows the Syndicate’s approval in June. The university will now recommend the move to the State government for final approval. If approved, MGM College will be the tenth college to receive autonomy under the university. The council also approved amendments to eligibility criteria for postgraduate courses in statistics to address low enrollment, allowing students with related backgrounds and a bridge course to apply. The university plans to revive the statistics program by hiring retired faculty.
**News Article:**
**Mangalore University Greenlights Autonomy for MGM College, Udupi; Amends Statistics Course Entry Requirements**
**MANGALURU, July 18, 2025** – The academic landscape of Karnataka is set for a change as Mangalore University’s Academic Council has given its approval for granting autonomy to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) College in Udupi. The decision, reached during a meeting on Friday, follows a prior agreement from the University’s Syndicate, its highest decision-making body, on June 4th.
The university will now forward its recommendation to the State government, which holds the ultimate authority on the matter. If the government approves, MGM College will become the tenth college to gain autonomous status under Mangalore University.
Currently, other colleges such as Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara College, School of Social Work Roshni Nilaya, St. Aloysius College, St. Agnes College, St. Ann’s College, Alva’s College, Poornaprajna College, Vivekananda College of Arts, Science and Commerce, and St. Philomena College are already under the University.
In addition to the autonomy decision, the Academic Council also addressed the issue of critically low enrollment in the university’s first-year Statistics program. For the 2024-25 academic year, the program saw zero admissions. To combat this, the council approved amendments to the eligibility criteria for postgraduate courses in statistics.
The revised criteria now allow students with a B.Sc. degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, data science, or data analytics to apply, provided they have secured a minimum of 45% marks (40% for SC/ST and category I candidates) in the relevant subject. Furthermore, BCA graduates with mathematics at the pre-university level and a minimum of 45% in their degree course are also eligible. A mandatory bridge course on algebra and calculus will be provided for students lacking those courses at the degree level.
Vice-Chancellor P.L. Dharma addressed the press, expressing the university’s commitment to reviving the statistics program. He stated that efforts would be made to attract students to the course, highlighting its relevance, especially for those pursuing chartered accountancy. To address the lack of permanent faculty in the Statistics Department, the university plans to hire retired senior professors as guest teachers.
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