MG Senate suggests minor changes to draft policy on higher education

Updated on: Monday, July 19, 2010

The Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) Senate, which met here on Saturday, to discuss the draft policy document on higher education in the State, unanimously called for incorporating minor changes in the policy document, besides polishing its language, contents and syntax.

After the discussion, Vice-Chancellor Rajan Gurukkal, who convened the meeting, promised that the suggestions put forth by the members would be communicated to the concerned.

The initiative for formulating a draft policy was taken by the Kerala State Higher Education Council. A five-member committee headed by educationalist U.R. Ananthamurthy prepared the draft policy document. The recommendations of the draft document included enhancement of public spending on education to the tune of 30% of the State budget within the next three years; filling of all existing vacancies of teachers and abolishing the system of guest and contract faculty; implementation of curricular reforms at the undergraduate level; establishment of clusters of colleges at selected centres across the State; establishment of Academic Staff Colleges (ASC) in all universities; establishment of an Open University and delinking of distance, private learning and continuing education from regular universities; setting up of a Higher Education Scholarship Fund; setting up of a College Service Commission for the recruitment of teachers; introduction of a centralised system of admission of students through the universities; and the revision of acts and statutes of universities.

K. Sherafudheen, general secretary, MGU Employees' Association, opined that the establishment of an Open University is against social justice as it will deprive majority of the students in the private stream of the infrastructure developed through public funding.

M.C. Dileep Kumar, Reader, Department of Commerce, Cochin College, opined that the formation of a College Service Commission is impracticable. He also suggested the removal of the terminology “pseudo” used for private educational institutions.

K.P. Sukumaran Nair, Selection Grade Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, S.D. College, Kanjirapally, welcomed the decision of the N.S.S. management to abolish religious activities in higher educational institutions.

K. Radhakrishnan Nair, Selection Grade Lecturer, S.R.V.N.S.S. College, Vazhoor, called for the introduction of a mechanism to check the entry of foreign universities to the country.

MG Senate suggests minor changes to draft policy on higher education

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