Higher education reforms commission has recommended that the current system of colleges affiliating with universities should be stopped in the next 10 years. In the first phase, 20 best government colleges should be accorded constituent college positions as well as special funds for 5 years. In the next phase private, aided colleges should be given this status.
Constituent colleges can opt for appointments through PSC or similar formats. Transfers shouldn’t be there for teachers. There are also instructions to increase the number of colleges in the Malabar region.
Innovative courses should be introduced in science courses in colleges and universities in the backward districts. There should be new 5-year education programs and should be continued only if they are doing well. Teachers' appointments should be for 5 years.
Other recommendations
» Vice Chancellor’s tenure should be made 5 years. Till he/she turns 70, they should be given an opportunity for the second time.
» Higher education Minister should visit private, deemed universities.
» The syndicate’s power should be restricted to approving budgets and new recommendations.
» The senate members should be reduced. The name should be changed to Board of Regents.
» The govt share in the Higher education sector should be increased to 12% annually till 2036-37.
» They should form a 5000 crore Kerala higher education treasure. In this apart from the government share, each product should be offered 1-2% sez.
» 1000 crore funds should be allocated for encouraging research.
» The number of students hailing from backward/scheduled caste communities should be increased. They should be given reservations for Ph.D. entrance.
» More girls and transgenders should be admitted.
» Research students should be allocated a fellowship of Rs 15k monthly.
» In order to address complaints related to research a state complaint resolution cell should be there.
» There should be a residential institute called Kerala Institute of advance studies for those researchers in the field of language and social science.
» There should be a Kerala Language Network for the development of the Malayalam language. Translation mission and Language technology mission should be formed.
» The university campus libraries should be open 24 hours a day.
Higher education syllabus should be reformed: Minister
Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice, R Bindu has said that the higher education syllabus should be reformed in the next academic year. For this, there will be instructions from the higher education council. The minister was inaugurating the higher education reform commission report submission programme as well as discussions over commission reports. Universities should incorporate changes according to changing times. The commissions are initiatives in the direction. The services of the law reform commission should be there for a longer period of time, according to R Bindu.
The Higher education reform report was prepared by a committee presided by Prof Syam B Menon and comprising T Pradeep, Sabu Thomas, MV Narayanan, R Ramkumar, Ayesha Kidwai, and Prof Sabu Abdul Hameed as tthemembers.
Prof NM Jayakumar’s law reform commission and Prof CT Aravind Kumar’s exam reform commission reports were also presented. Higher Education Council Vice Chairman Prof Rajan Gurukkal presided over the function. Secretary Dr. Rajan Varghese, Higher Education department Principal Secretary Ishita Roy also spoke at the function.
The reports are discussed by Vice-chancellors, Pro-vice chancellors, registrars, Exam controllers from various universities, two syndicate members each, and representatives of Higher Education Govt agencies. The discussion will continue today.