SJMV MAHANTA FIRST GRADE ARTS and COMMERCE COLLEGE was started in 1986 by the renowned Karnataka Prograssive Education Society (KPES) Dharwad. The KPES was founded by the noted legal and literary luminary Dr. G. M. Patil, the leading practitioner of Law, in Dharwad. In 1992 for the better and fair administration the college was handed over to Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra
Vidyapeetha Brihanmath, Chitradurga on the auspicious occasion of His Holiness Shri Mahanth Swamiji’s 80th Birthday Celebration. The college has been renamed as SJMV’s Mahantha 1st Grade Arts & Commerce College during 2006.
From 1992 to 2002 the college was running in the serene, spiritual backdrop of Sri Murugha Math premises. The college came under Grant-in-Aid system from the Government of Karnataka. The College is affiliated to Karnataka University, Dharwad and it imparts higher education in two faculties, namely Arts and Commerce. It is one of the prestigious and premier institutions of Sri Murugharajendra Vidyapeetha.
Due to unavailability circumstances in the year 2002 the college was shifted to more spacious Adarsha Girl’s High School campus, in Raamnagar, Dharwad. There also the student’s strength considerably increased every year. It is a matter of pride and prestige record here that the college is shifted to our newly constricted own building at rayapur in the year 2010. Due to multi range of choice of subject combination, there is lot of attraction and wide scope for students and this helped very much in the increase of admission, year by year and also enabled the students to make choices of their interest out of variety of subjects.
Under able and proper guidance and stewardship of the dynamic Principal Shri N. R. Balikai, our teachers have been making good attempts in the realms of teaching and research. The most dedicated, devoted, experienced, well read and enthusiastic members of teaching staff are striving hard to bring about all- around development in studies and try their best to install confidence and competency in them to face open competition and level playing which are the two prominent hallmarks of present day living. Because of the team spirit and efforts, the college is accredited by NAAC at Grade ‘B’ Level.
With the intention to impact value education to the present youth, the college conducts Vachana Kammata Examination every year. Vachana is a short sacred poem. Crores of vachana were written by poet-saints of 12th Century. Vachanas emit spiritual values and morality in the lives of people. To enable the students to study and inculcate those values, the President of our Vidyapeetha Dr. Sri Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Sharanaru is conducting Vachana Kammata exams in all degree colleges of Karnataka. Several Students of our college have become successful every year and secured state level ranks.
To develop academic, social and spiritual standards amoung students, ample care and attention are taken in the institution. Curricular, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities are undertaken from time to time in our institution, and self financed certificate courses are introduced from 2004-05 and they are continued this academic year also.