Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) has mooted mutual recognition for courses in universities. There will be reciprocal recognition of degrees awarded by Indian universities and other higher educational institutions as per the proposal.
A 15-member state level academic committee (SLAC) headed by Rajan Gurukkal, vice-chairman of the council, with Rajan Varughese, its member secretary, as convener has been appointed to resolve issues related to the nomenclature and equivalency of academic programmes.
All universities, higher educational institutions, agencies, and employers should recognise degrees of national institutes like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), and other national-level standalone institutions funded by the government. Institutions should abide by the conditions, policies, and procedures of the Association of Indian Universities for giving recognition or equivalence of qualifications and degrees awarded by foreign universities.
Institutions have to approve degrees through open and distance learning, as per the latest UGC Open and Distance Learning Regulations.
Universities have to decide on equivalency and recognition of degrees awarded through open and distance learning before the promulgation of the UGC Open and Distance Learning Regulations, 2017.
All stakeholders in the state should recognise the BS/MS degrees of IISERs, IISc, state and central universities and other higher educational institutions funded by the government.
They should not insist on equivalency or/recognition for degrees obtained from IITs, IISc, NITs, IISERs, or other institutions recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Stakeholders have to follow the nomenclature of degrees prepared and listed by the UGC and approve and recognise degrees awarded by UGC-recognised private universities if they complied with the relevant UGC norms and regulations as amended from time to time, according to government order.
