Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that Kerala is trying to put forward a model, which will be an alternative to the curriculum reform recommended by the National Education Policy.
Inaugurating a ladies’ hostel, academic block, and smart classrooms at Government Brennan College, Thalassery, on Saturday, he said the government was trying to make Kerala a hub of higher education, and that the curriculum reform was the most important step towards that.
The government has decided to start a four-year degree programme, he said. “It is not possible to create a knowledge society by imparting knowledge alone. Its basis should be the sense of humanity and love for fellow beings,” Mr. Vijayan said.
The Chief Minister said that the gross enrolment ratio in higher education in the State had risen to 43%. In addition to recognitions from the Asian Development Bank and NITI Aayog, Kerala has been ranked third among the most employable states in the country by the India Skills Report.
Special attention is being paid to research-intensive investments in the higher education sector. Post-doctoral fellowships have been started in around 10 fields of knowledge.
The Chief Minister said the Industry on Campus scheme was also being implemented at government polytechnic colleges so that students could earn while pursuing studies.
The Chief Minister said ₹30 crore had been allocated in the last Budget to elevate Brennan College as a centre of excellence. Six new courses have been sanctioned. The campus owns a library complex built at a cost of ₹3 crore and a seminar hall constructed at a cost of ₹1.20 crore. An amount of ₹5 crore has been allocated for Maths and Science block and ₹2.10 crore for advanced facilities. Besides, ₹1 crore has been allocated for the renovation of men’s hostel and ₹2 crore for the construction of smart classrooms.
Construction projects on the campus are being executed using corporate social responsibility funds, Mr. Vijayan said.
Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice R. Bindu presided over the event. V. Sivadasan, MP, and Kannur University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Gopinath Ravindra were present.
