Vijayan wants Kerala to withdraw rules letting colleges add seats without approval

Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday, 8 November, demanded that the Kerala government immediately withdraw new guidelines that let colleges start courses and increase seats without first getting the government’s approval.

The CPI(M) leader said the change would commercialise education and had been made under pressure from the managements of private colleges. He also demanded a full legal inquiry into how an earlier order had been diluted.

What changed

Mr. Vijayan pointed to an 11 September order from the Higher Education Department, which made prior government approval compulsory before government, aided and autonomous colleges introduced new courses or increased seats.

Under the newer guidelines, autonomous institutions need only inform the government in advance and renew their No Objection Certificate (NOC) once every three years, according to reports. Self-financing colleges have also been given more room to start courses and add seats. Reports differ on exactly which kinds of college still need prior permission, and the full text of the guidelines has not been made public.

The government’s case

Higher Education Minister Roji M. John has defended the relaxation, saying it promotes academic autonomy and reduces corruption. He argued that requiring NOCs every year gave “more chances for corruption.”

What’s next

The government has not said whether it will review the guidelines.