7 months ago
1
The Kerala Assembly connected Thursday (October 9, 2025) passed 2 University Laws (Amendment) Bills, which volition mandate that Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) of State-run universities convene meetings of the Syndicate and different equivalent statutory bodies astatine slightest erstwhile each 2 months.
Under the caller legislation, V-Cs volition besides beryllium required to convene a gathering wrong 7 days if requested by one-third of the members of the respective bodies.
Speaking aft tabling the Bills arsenic reported by the Subject Committee connected Education, Higher Education Minister R. Bindu credited antiauthoritarian structures wrong universities, peculiarly the Syndicates, for efficaciously steering landmark reforms that were introduced by the State government. These included timely behaviour of examinations, the implementation of a unified world calendar and different measures that person helped universities marque important strides successful nationalist rankings and accreditations.
“Kerala besides became the archetypal State successful the state to present a broad four-year undergraduate model that ensured planetary compatibility. The authorities besides pioneered the ‘N-1 semester model, which has present gained nationalist recognition, and introduced capstone projects, present adopted by institutions similar the Delhi University,” she said.
Reforms successful engineering education, including updated curricula and accrued internship opportunities, person besides led to a important uptick successful enrolments, resulting successful an summation of 6,100 admissions this year.
While celebrating specified achievements, the Minister expressed interest implicit alleged authoritarian tendencies by immoderate Vice-Chancellors. She warned against attempts to undermine assemblage Syndicates and propulsion regressive ideological agendas wrong campuses. The caller legislative amendments were introduced to guarantee greater accountability of Vice-Chancellors and to safeguard the functioning of Syndicates, Dr. Bindu pointed out.
UDF raises objections
While the Bills were passed successful the lack of the Opposition, United Democratic Front (UDF) legislators T.V. Ibrahim and Abid Hussain Thangal had raised beardown objections to the projected amendments during scrutiny by the Subject Committee.
They expressed interest that the amendments could alteration Syndicates into platforms for governmental factionalism, and undermine their relation successful fostering corporate responsibility. They warned that the changes of the existing laws would besides disrupt the creaseless functioning of universities and deepen the ongoing situation that allegedly affected the higher acquisition sector, which, according to them, has already been exacerbated by unnecessary interference successful administrative and world affairs.
