UDF govt’s move to ease norms for self-financing courses, seat expansion in autonomous colleges sparks row in Keralam

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The United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s decision to relax the requirement for prior government approval for introducing new self-financing courses and increasing seats in autonomous colleges has triggered a political controversy in Keralam.

The Opposition has accused the government of facilitating the commercialisation of higher education, while the government defended the move as a measure to promote academic autonomy and eliminate bureaucratic delays.

The controversy centres on a revised circular issued by the Higher Education Department on November 6, which withdrew the instructions contained in a previous circular issued on September 11 and introduced a revised system for obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for new courses and seat increases in colleges affiliated to State-run universities.

The initial circular had stipulated that government approval was mandatory for starting new courses and increasing seats in government and aided colleges, including autonomous aided colleges. It also prescribed a system under which self-financing colleges had to renew their government NOCs annually.

However, the latest circular retains the three-year NOC renewal requirement for self-financing colleges, while introducing important relaxations for autonomous institutions. Under the revised provisions, autonomous colleges can introduce new courses under the self-financing stream without obtaining a government NOC.

Autonomous aided colleges can also introduce new courses under the unaided or self-financing stream without a government NOC. The circular also exempts such institutions from obtaining a government NOC for permanent increases in seats in existing courses.