Kerala Cabinet approves draft bill for establishment of private universities
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Left government in Kerala approved a draft bill for the establishment and management of private universities in the state.
The state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday approved the Kerala State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Draft Bill, 2025, under which only credible sponsoring agencies with experience in the education sector may apply to establish a private university in the state, a CMO release said here.
According to the draft bill, the university must own land as per the guidelines set by regulatory bodies and deposit a Rs 25 crore corpus fund in the state treasury.
If it is a multi-campus university, the main campus must cover at least 10 acres. The university must also follow UGC and state government guidelines regarding faculty appointments, the selection of the Vice-Chancellor, and overall administration.
The bill mandates that 40 percent of seats in each course must be reserved for students from Kerala, following the state's existing reservation policy.
Additionally, scholarships and fee waivers for students from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities will continue.
Applicants seeking to establish a private university must submit a detailed project report along with the application fee. This report must include information about the university's land, funding sources, and management structure.
A government-appointed expert committee will review the applications and submit its recommendations within two months.
Once approved, the university will be officially recognised through a law passed in the Legislative Assembly.
Private universities will have the same rights and powers as public universities.
The bill also states that the state government will not provide financial assistance to private universities, but they may apply for research grants.
State Higher Education Secretary and another secretary nominated by the state government will be part of the university’s governing bodies to ensure proper regulation.
The state government will have one nominee in the executive council and three nominees in the academic council of the private university.
The democratic rights of students, teachers, and staff will be protected, and grievance redressal systems will be in place. Additionally, employee benefits, including provident fund (PF), must be guaranteed.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to university laws, removing the provision that allowed universities to set up study centres outside the state and abroad.
To avoid administrative delays, existing syndicates, senates, and executive committees will continue until new ones are formed or their tenure ends.
A special provision will ensure a smooth transition in restructuring university bodies like academic councils and boards of studies.
The amendments were included in a draft legislative memorandum and sent to the Law Department for further action, the CMO release added.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
