Mangaluru : MLA J R Lobo, who is also chairman of Dayananda Pai-Sathish Pai Government First Grade College (Car Street) Development Committee, said Dayananda Pai-Sathish Pai Government First Grade College, said the college will start three new postgraduate courses — MA in Political Science, MSW and MSc in Chemistry in the academic year.

Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, he said the college has started MCom from last year. To help the poor students, a proposal has been submitted to the government for sanctioning a post-matric hostel on the college campus. A four-storeyed hostel has been planned through Backward Classes Department, to accommodate at least 200 girl students, he added.

Wit the technological leap with the launch of ‘Jnana Sangama’, the attendance system in the college, has been made online from this year. The new e-attendance software will allow teachers to mark attendance on smart devices such as a laptop with the same data getting registered in the server as well. Further, a message will be sent to the parents, whenever a student remains absent to the classes, he said.

Further, the MLA said under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the college has received a grant of Rs 2 crore. In this, Rs 70 lakh has been utilised for the construction of classrooms, Rs 10 lakh for the purchase of laptops and Rs 19 lakh for ICT programme under ‘Jnana Sangama’. Rs 56 lakh has been released for modernisation and upgradation works and Rs 45 lakh for the purchase of equipment. The classrooms have been converted to smart classes, he explained.

The college is also planing to start mid-day meals for the students at a concessional rate. A committee has been constituted under the leadership of the principal to contact the donors, he added.

Stating that the admissions to various undergraduate courses in the college has seen a phenomenal increase, college principal Rajashekar Hebbar said already 716 students have been taken admission for first year undergraduate courses. Further, students will be admitted after the second PUC supplementary results are announced. The admission for first year may cross 800, he felt.

The admission in the college is highest among 32 government colleges in the region. In addition, the Department of Collegiate Education has selected the college as Lead college for 19 government colleges in Dakshina Kannada for a period of three years from 2017-18, he said.

An employment mela for the government colleges of Dakshina Kannada and a few selected colleges will be held in the college campus on July 21. Entrepreneur Dayananda Pai has promised to construct two more floors to the existing building at a cost of Rs 3 crore. Already, he has given furnitures and photocopy machines worth Rs 8 lakh to the college during the academic year.

At a time when BBM courses are receiving poor admissions, the admissions in the college has reached 50 this year, said the principal. In addition, BSc in CBZ has been started during the academic year.