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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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
