Mount Carmel University

Contents

Mount Carmel University (MCU), is a Private deemed university in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. [1] It was established by Carmelite Sisters of Saint Teresa, Kerala to empower women through education and remained a women's college for over 75 years. In 2021, it admitted male students to postgraduate courses, became fully co-educational in 2024, and was granted deemed university status in 2026.[2][3][4][5]

History

The college was founded on 24 April 1887 by Mother Teresa of St Rose of Lima in Ernakulum in Kerala. It is owned and administered by the Carmelite Sisters of Saint Teresa. As a minority institution, it enjoys the rights and privileges guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.[6]

After over seven decades, the college which was only for girls, opened its post graduate courses to boys in 2016 and started enrollment in 2021.[4][7] The college completed 75 years during the academic year 2022-2023 and following a decision taken at the Bangalore University Academic Council meeting, the college declared on 4 January 2024, that all courses are open for both boys and girls. Dr.Prof. George Lekha is the principal of the college [8][9] The decision is line with the college's aspirations to achieve a deemed to be university status.[10]

On 19 June 2026, the institution was accorded Deemed-to-be University status by the Ministry of Education under the University Grants Commission (UGC).[11][12]

The college was affiliated with Bangalore University until 2022, after which it became affiliated with Bengaluru City University. Following its recognition as a deemed-to-be university in 2026, it came under the purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC).[5][13]

Academics and accreditation

The college offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in arts, science and commerce. The college is Rollege with Potential for Excellence by UGC, Star College Status by DBT, Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India. The college has a sister institution Mount Carmel Institute Of Management which offers a post-graduation diploma in Business Management for women. The Centre for Education Growth and Research has declared MCC as the Best Women’s College in Karnataka for its ‘outstanding and exemplary contribution towards education, skill development and research’.[14]

In 2025, it was ranked by India Today as one of the top three colleges in Karnataka in the fields of arts, science and commerce.[15]

Student festivals

Cul Ah is the cultural fest of the college that includes events such as dance, drama, music and academically driven contests like quizzes.[16] Cross Currents is a national level Commerce Fest and Carpediem is a national level management fest, along with Manan which is a national level Humanities fest. These are to name a few of the fests hosted by the college.

Notable alumni

  • A. J. S. Lakshmi Shree, visual artist
  • Anjali Jay, British-Indian actress and classical dancer
  • Amulya, actress
  • Anu Prabhakar, actress
  • Anushka Sharma, actress
  • Anushka Shetty, actress
  • Aparna Popat, badminton player
  • Deepika Padukone, actress
  • Disha Annappa Ravi, environmental activist
  • Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar, theologian
  • Faye D'Souza, journalist
  • Joanne Da Cunha, Pond's Femina Goa 2013 / Actress, Model, Singer
  • Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, businesswoman, technocrat, innovator, and the founder of Biocon
  • Mamta Mohandas, actress and playback singer
  • Margaret Alva, governor of Rajasthan and former governor of Uttarakhand
  • MILI (Mili Nair), singer-songwriter, composer, producer
  • Monisha Unni, actress
  • Nicole Faria, model and Miss Earth 2010
  • Nithya Menen, actress
  • Nirupama Rao, Indian ambassador to the United States
  • Pooja Umashankar, actress
  • Priya Pereira, actress
  • Radhika Pandit, actress
  • Rajini Rao, Indian-American physiologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, principal investigator of the Rao Lab
  • Roshmitha Harimurthy, Miss Diva-Miss Universe India (2016)
  • Sharmiela Mandre, actress
  • Teresa A Braggs, filmmaker
  • Shreya Sharma, analyst
  • Vaishali Desai, model and actress, winner of Indian title of Miss International
  • Vasundahara Das, singer, actress
  • Suparna Rajaram, distinguished Professor of Psychology at Stony Brook University
  • Shubha Chako, feminist, gender and sexual minority rights activist and founder of Solidarity Foundation.

References

  1. 1."MCC About Us – Mount Carmel College, Bangalore". Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  2. 2.Service, Express News (8 January 2024). "A diverse turn: Mount Carmel College to transition into co-ed". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  3. 3.Rajendran, Samrah Attar,Dhanya (9 January 2024). "Why Bengaluru Mount Carmel college decided to become a co-ed institute". The News Minute. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  4. 4.[4.2]"The boys of Mount Carmel & THE CO-ED RUSH". The Times of India. 6 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  5. 5.[5.2]"Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru gets Deemed-To-Be University status". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  6. 6."Mount Caremel University-2026 Academic Calendar" (PDF).
  7. 7.Service, Express News (4 January 2024). "Mount Carmel opens up all courses to boys; eyes university status". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  8. 8."Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru to offer admissions for boys for all UG and PG courses from 2024". The Hindu. 4 January 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  9. 9."After 75 years, Bengaluru's Mount Carmel College to open its doors for male students". The Indian Express. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  10. 10."Mount Carmel opens admissions for boys into all courses". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  11. 11."Bengaluru's Mount Carmel College conferred deemed-to-be-university status". The Times of India. 25 June 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  12. 12.Fb; Tw; Linkdin; Whatsapp; Us, GNFollow. "Bengaluru: Mount Carmel College Granted Deemed-to-be-University Status by Ministry of Education". Asianet Newsable. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  13. 13.Notification No. 9 4/2026 U.3(A) dated 19th June, 2026 declaring Mount Carmel, Bengaluru, Karnataka as an Institution deemed to be University under general category (English) "https://www.dohe-education.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/07/e3f06f1b520f2381d983027399fbe59c.pdf" "https://www.dohe-education.gov.in/documents/orders-and-notices/notification-no-9-4-2026-u-3a-dated-19th-june-2026-declaring-mount-carmel-bengaluru-karnataka-as-an-institution-deemed-to-be-university-under-general-categoryenglish-ADN0EDOtQWa?pageTitle=Notification-No.-9-4%2F2026-U.3%28A%29-dated-19th-June%2C-2026-declaring-Mount-Carmel%2C-Bengaluru%2C-Karnataka-as-an-Institution-deemed-to-be-University-under-general-category-%28English%29&utm"
  14. 14."Mount Carmel College, Bangalore – MCC Bangalore". Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  15. 15."Ranking 2008 of Colleges in Karnataka". 4 June 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  16. 16."Mount Carmel campus turns into a cultural melting pot". DNA. 12 January 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2016.