Mahatma Gandhi Central University

Overview

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) was established in 2014 and commenced operations in 2016. Located in Motihari in northwestern Bihar, it has grown very rapidly in less than a decade, going from 6 academic programs to 67, with 20 Teaching and Research Departments. Admissions to the University are extremely competitive, with 2.83 lakh students vying for 660 postgraduate seats in the most recent application season. Even though it initially had most students from Bihar, there has been a marked push for diversity, with 10% of students from outside the state, and Faculty members representing 18 other states and Union Territories.

The Career Counseling and Placement Cell of MGCU works closely with trainers, companies, and students to facilitate internships and full time job offers. It has representatives from different Departments, and assists both UG and PG students with advice regarding corporate opportunities and applications for higher studies.

The MGCU campus has world class study facilities, with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Central Library allowing students to access online journals and physical reference books. Pradesh Anubhuti is a celebration of the diversity on campus; this initiative helps sensitize members of the famous community to different cultures within India. The MGCU campus also has several indoor and outdoor sports venues, in addition to halls for cultural performances. The green campus of the University is a notable center of sustainability in the region.

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) Highlights

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) Fees

The academic fees for students of Mahatma Gandhi Central University have multiple components e.g. tuition fees, examination charges, registration fees, and caution deposits. The fee structure for representative UG and PG programs is as follows:

• One-time fees: INR 3,600 to INR 5,600.
  • Enrollment fee: INR 1,000.
  • Admission fee: INR 500.
  • Development fee: INR 1,000 (most programs) or INR 2,000 (BTech).
  • Identity card fee: INR 100.
  • Security deposit (refundable at the time of graduation subject to good conduct): Either INR 1,000 (most programs) or INR 2,000 (BTech and PhD).
• Annual fee: INR 618 (towards Mediclaim health insurance premiums).
• Semester fees: Range from INR 5,000 (MA) to INR 24,000 (BTech) per semester.
  • The tuition fee is well below INR 5,000 per semester for most courses, but MBA And BTech exceed the INR 12,000 mark.
  • Most programs have computer laboratory fees of INR 500 and those that have higher fees charge INR 1,000 to INR 3,000 per semester, with the higher charges associated with intensive lab usage (e.g. MTech Computer Science).
  • Laboratory fees range from 0 (e.g. MA) to INR 3,000 per semester (e.g. for MSc Life Sciences).
  • There are multiple small semester fees of INR 500 each, including the evaluation fee, library charges, cultural activities fee, and sports cess.
  • Doctoral students pay an additional coursework and examination fee of INR 6,000.

All students who choose to stay on campus must pay the hostel fee of INR 9,000 per semester, in addition to the monthly mess fee. The University also provides a transportation facility to students living nearby; the charges will be notified each semester.

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to Mahatma Gandhi Central University, are as follows:

• UG programs:
  • Students must hold a Standard 12 pass certificate issued by a recognized Board of Higher Secondary Education in India or abroad.
  • Certain programs require specific subject combinations e.g. BTech applicants must have pass grades in Physics and Chemistry at the 10+2 level.
  • General category applicants must have an aggregate of 50% or higher. There is a 5% relaxation for reserved category students.
  • Applicants must submit a valid CUET UG score.
• PG programs:
  • Applicants must hold (or be in the final year of) an undergraduate degree in a discipline related to their chosen PG course.
  • Most PG programs have an undergraduate aggregate cut-off of 50%. This is relaxed to 45% for reserved category applicants.
  • Candidates must have a valid CUET PG score.

Students who wish to apply to Mahatma Gandhi Central University must follow these steps:

• Only online applications are accepted.
• Interested students must visit the MGCU website and click on Apply Online.
• The registration process starts after submission of the email address and mobile number. All alerts during the selection process use these contact details.
• Students must check the eligibility criteria for their program(s) of interest before paying the registration fee.
• Candidates must fill up the online application form, while taking care to submit accurate details. Any error can lead to cancellation of the application.
• After submitting the basic details, candidates must upload soft copies of their academic transcripts, CUET scores, and personal identification.
• The University releases both a shortlist and a waiting list. If a candidate on the shortlist fails to pay the first semester’s fees within the stipulated time period, his/her application shall stand canceled and the first student in the waiting list will receive an admission offer.

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) Placements

As one of the top Universities in India, the placement highlights of Mahatma Gandhi Central University are as follows: 

• The Career Counseling and Placement Cell is the apex central University body that deals with corporate relations.
• It has the following main functions:
  • Organizing one-on-one sessions with counselors and group sessions with industry experts to enable students to choose the best career paths for them.
  • Conducting training sessions for students to enhance their employability.
  • Maintaining strong professional relationships with major companies in India and abroad.
  • Providing training material to help UG students perform well in entrance examinations for PG courses.
  • Facilitating placement and internship interviews through logistics support.
  • Following up with companies to ensure timely release of offer letters to selected students.
• The Career Counseling and Placement Cell is headed by two senior Professors, and has student representatives for smooth functioning.

Cut-Offs

Most programs offered by Mahatma Gandhi Central University have cut-offs based on the aggregate percentage in the qualifying examination. For example, applicants to UG courses must have a Standard XII Board Examination aggregate above 50%, or 45% for reserved category candidates. There are no cut-offs based on CUET scores announced in advance; these are decided after the second round of the seat allocation process is completed, based on the CUET score of the last candidate to receive an admission offer.

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) Faculty & Alumni

Mahatma Gandhi Central University maintains separate web pages for the  full time Faculty members in each Department. The highly qualified Professors guide PG and Doctoral students in their research projects, while designing the academic curriculum for UG and OG coursework. They also work closely with the Career Counseling and Placement Cell to ensure that the curriculum is aligned to industry expectations, and guides students on their field visits and industry immersion programs.

The Alumni Association will play a major role as MGCU grows in stature in its second decade, and will carry out multiple functions including providing authentic connections through verified alumni databases. It will also provide a direct link between the University and its distinguished alumni to organize guest lectures, informative seminars, training sessions, live projects, and internships. It also acts as a way to assist financially needy students through direct mentorship and funding via alumni charitable donations. Finally, it will maintain alumni chapters in different cities and ensure that there are regular meets and interactive events. All graduates of the University are required to fill the Alumni Form.

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) Scholarships

As in other top Universities in India, there are multiple financial aid options available to students of Mahatma Gandhi Central University. The different categories of scholarships include:

1. Pragati and Saksham Scholarships: They are awarded to girl students and differently abled candidates respectively by the AICTE, and carry a tuition fee scholarship up to INR 30,000 per year, and a monthly stipend of INR 2,000. Students must apply anew every year, and there are 4,000 spots open across accredited institutions in India, including MGCU. 

2. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Scholarship: These are awarded to meritorious SC and ST students enrolled in Engineering, MBBS, MBA, and MSc (Geology) programs at MGCU. The scholarship amount is INR 4,000 per month, and all applicants must have a minimum aggregate of 60% in the qualifying examination. If there are more applicants than there are scholarship slots, the final merit list will be prepared based on the UG or Standard XII aggregate.

3. PG Scholarship for GATE and GPAT qualifiers: This AICTE tuition fee scholarship is awarded to the best performers in the entrance tests to postgraduate engineering and pharmacy programs offered by MGCU.

4. National Scholarship Scheme (NSP) Ishan Uday Special Scholarship: This is awarded to students from the Northeast region who are enrolled in Mahatma Gandhi Central University; a total of 10,000 scholarships are granted across the country. The scholarship amount is INR 7,800 per month for students in technical and management courses, and INR 5,400 per month for other programs.

5. Indira Gandhi Scholarship: This national-level scholarship is awarded to academically exceptional female students who have secured admission to PG courses. Eligible students of MGCU must apply immediately after their admission is confirmed. The scholarship amount is INR 36,000 per year for two years, and this covers tuition fees and hostel charges for most programs.

6. Post Matric Scholarships: These tuition fee scholarships assist needy students from reserved categories with tuition fees and living stipends.

7. NSP Merit-cum-Means Scholarships for Minority community students: Students from minority religious communities who have an aggregate greater than 50% in the previous academic year and a family income below INR 2.5 LPA are given scholarships of INR 10,000 per year (hostel dwellers) or INR 5,000 per year (day scholars).

Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) Preparation & FAQs

Applicants to Mahatma Gandhi Central University must appear for the CUET UG or CUET PG examination for their chosen subjects. While preparing for either entrance test, students must check the syllabus carefully and complete mock tests to ensure that their projected score is higher than the previous year's cut-offs. The acceptance rate is less than 0.1%; therefore, students applying to highly competitive courses must reduce test errors by attempting sample papers and analyzing errors to identify their strong and weak areas.

MGCU Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

Mahatma Gandhi Central University is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #20 among the best Central Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to Mahatma Gandhi Central University?

The application fees to Mahatma Gandhi Central University vary according to the level of the program to which the student is applying (undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD). Students pay INR 300 per paper as CUET application fees, followed by INR 500 to MGCU as Admission Fees.

Q. Are international students allowed to study at Mahatma Gandhi Central University?

MGCU earmarks 15% of seats in each course for foreign nationals and NRIs. International students do not need to submit CUET scores. However, they must satisfy the other eligibility criteria, and certain programs may require them to submit SAT, TOEFL, or GRE scores.

Q. Which MBA specializations are offered by Mahatma Gandhi Central University?

MGCU offers four specializations to its MBA students: Marketing Management, Finance, Human Resource Management, and International Business. The program intake is 33, and there is no cap on the number of students choosing a particular specialization.