Kochi: After the successful launching of autonomous colleges in the Government sector, the State Government is planning to launch a deemed university in the Government sector during the 2014-15 academic year.
A Government college in northern Kerala with a great legacy is to be selected for granting deemed university status and chances are that Government Victoria College, Palakkad, will be chosen. However, Government Brennen College, Thalassery, is also being considered for it.
Such a college when upgraded as a deemed varsity can affiliate colleges and courses under it. Already, the Higher Education Department has decided to grant autonomy to Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam and University College, Thiruvananthapuram. The inspection of aided colleges for granting autonomy will start this week.
The Government is currently making efforts to equip higher education institutions to meet the standards stipulated by the Central Government for financial assistance under the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) project.
“The state is required to increase the allocation for higher education from the current level of 0.55 per cent to 1.5 per cent of State Domestic Product (GDP) over the RUSA project period. The move to grant autonomy and deemed varsity status is part of this,” said a senior official in the Higher Education Department.
It is learnt that the Chief Minister is of the opinion that government colleges should be initially considered for deemed university status so that allegations from the Opposition can be effectively countered. Officials of the Higher Education Department say the autonomy concept has not faced much resistance in Kerala now and the future holds a lot of promise.
