The latest indications are that the recent debate between the Chancellor of the universities in Kerala and the Government has led to an arrangement that will satisfy both sides and also benefit the cause of higher education in Kerala. Apparently, the Chancellor has agreed to continue in office on the basis of a promise that there will be no political interference in the matters of the universities, not to speak of pressurizing the Chancellor into accepting any suggestion by the Government. On his part, the Chancellor has stated that he will be rigorous in his consideration of university matters and will ensure enforcement of the rule of law in the universities.
Government versus private institutions
More than the new understanding between the Chancellor and the Government, the outcome of the debate brought to light a number of issues relating to higher education in Kerala, mainly about the autonomy enjoyed by the universities. Many still have faith in government institutions as they are technically answerable to the legislature. Any government undertaking is believed to have greater accountability, though in actual fact, private institutions perform better because of the competition and the need to make profit.
Even while discussing educational institutions in the US, it is pointed out that many state institutions perform well there, without knowing the amount of autonomy they enjoy in academic matters. The maxim, “he who pays the piper calls the tune” still holds sway and Vice-Chancellors are at the mercy of the Department of Higher Education for funding. Even when direct funding to the universities was approved by the Central Cabinet under the Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) through the Higher Education Council, an autonomous body, the State Government conspired to capture it!
Will there be fair and just appointments?
The appointments in the universities and others came up for scrutiny and it was found that, in many cases, the regulations and other norms were not followed. It had come to be accepted that the posts were allocated to different parties and power centers, making it difficult for the appointees to act independently. Several cases of such appointments have been made and the Chancellor did not object to them, trusting that the government would be answerable to the public. Now that he is going to be strict in his examination of such cases, a great opportunity will come for fair and just appointments down the line.
Raising academic excellence
There have been many questions as to why students from Kerala are migrating to the universities outside Kerala and outside India. Why are they voting against higher education in Kerala with their feet? The simple answer is that excellence has been eluding our universities. The detailed recommendations made by the State Higher Education Council (2011-2016) to address urgent issues like infrastructure, teachers’ training, use of technology, autonomy, internationalization and private universities have been in cold storage till recently. But there are some signs that the present government has established a State Accreditation and Assessment Council as recommended and also it is moving towards more autonomous colleges and some private universities or deemed universities. With the new governance structure at the level of the Chancellor, it may be possible for reforms to be introduced.
Can National Education Policy help?
The real turning point will come only when the State Government looks at the National Education Policy 2020 more constructively. The ghosts of liberalization, commercialization and commoditization that Kerala sees in the NEP are imaginary. What the new policy does is to liberalize education on a choice- based system, giving option to the students to have a flexible graduation program in which there are exit points without losing the credits earned each year. Moreover, the universities of the future will be multi-disciplinary with emphasis on research and innovation.
A clear language policy, early introduction of vocational education at an early stage and light, but tight regulations make the policy a winner. A target of 50% Gross Enrolment Rate and investment of 6% of GDP by 2040 in education has been set. The projected abolition of the affiliation system will lead to the creation of more universities and make autonomy of colleges a reality. Economic prosperity through the development of a knowledge economy is the overall objective. Kerala must embrace these reforms to usher in a high-quality higher education system.
Kerala needs to develop a consensus among the political parties on certain fundamental aspects of education. The parties hold diverse views on the objectives of education, medium of education at different stages, the extent of autonomy, the role of private investment, the use of technology and internationalization. In the new atmosphere without political interference, such a consensus in the interest of excellence of education may be possible.
Governor Khan a catalyst of change
Kerala owes a debt of gratitude to Shri Arif Mohammed Khan for separating his constitutional responsibilities as the Governor from his statutory role as Chancellor and asserting his responsibilities to save the higher education in Kerala from its present sad state. He was firm and forthright in his position. He faced severe criticism for going back on certain decisions he had originally approved and for exposing many weaknesses in the system, including unauthorized and discourteous communications in poor language by high functionaries. But with his gracious acceptance of the assurances of the government, his courage, wisdom and noble intentions have been widely acknowledged.
If the new situation marks a new chapter in the history of higher education in Kerala, the credit must go to the Chancellor.
