Mangaluru: St Agnes awarded star college status by union govt

Mangaluru, Jul 5: St Agnes College, an autonomous college under Mangalore University, has been awarded with star college status by the Union Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, for its performance in the field of science and technology, according to a release from the college. It is the second women’s college in the State to receive this status.

Under the status, now the Department of Biotechnology has sanctioned Rs. 1 crore to the faculty of sciences of the college for nurturing excellence in undergraduate science education, it said. Earlier, the college had received some fund under star college scheme in 2012.

It is for improving critical thinking, innovations in teaching and learning, and to improve hands-on experimental work at the undergraduate level in basic sciences. The main objective of the scheme was to attract students to basic sciences.

This is the only second women's college in Karnataka to be conferred with star status. This comes in the wake of the college receiving recognition of College of Excellence from UGC in February and 'A+' Grade in cycle four from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in March 2017.

The college had applied for financial assistance under Star College Scheme in 2011. In 2012, it received financial assistance for physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and microbiology under the scheme.

According to Sr M Jeswina, principal, this scheme is for improving critical thinking, innovations in teaching and learning and to improve hands-on experimental work at undergraduate level in basic sciences. The main objective of the scheme is to attract students towards basic science. Every year the progress report of this scheme is being reviewed and the expert committee appreciated the outstanding progress achieved by the college under this scheme.

The seventh expert committee meeting to review colleges supported under Star College Scheme was held in April 2017 at Jalandhar. The expert committee appreciated the outstanding progress made by the college. The department of biotechnology was sanctioned Rs 1 crore to star status faculty of sciences of the college for further nurturing excellence in undergraduate science education.

The expert committee reviewed 27 colleges of the country, of which only five colleges have been selected for the star status award.