Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that the government will allot five acres at Thrikkakara for setting up the Kerala Judicial Academy. Mr. Chandy was speaking after inaugurating the new campus of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) at KINFRA hi-tech park in Kalamassery here on Saturday.
The Chief Minister said that the government would make all efforts to improve the quality of higher education being offered in the State. He said that NUALS would be able to achieve new heights in the area of legal education in the coming days.
NUALS Vice-Chancellor N.K. Jayakumar said that the cost for completing the first phase of the campus was around Rs.24 crore. The university had received bank loans for Rs.21 crore on a guarantee given by the government.
Second phase
The estimated cost for completing the second phase, which includes library and administrative buildings, was Rs.10 crore. The University Grants Commission would give Rs.5 crore and the State government would provide a matching grant, he said.
In the third phase, construction of residential quarters for administrative staff, Vice-Chancellor's quarters, Registrar's quarters and Centre for Continuing Legal Education would be initiated.
Dr. Jayakumar said that the first phase was completed in a record 15 months' time, with the active involvement of HPL, the project consultant, and INKEL, technical advisor. He said that the second phase of the campus development project would begin in July.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Chandy held discussions with the Chief Justice.
Jasti Chelameswar, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, presided over the function. Union Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas inaugurated the academic block. Education Minister P.K. Abdu Rabb inaugurated the faculty apartments. Industries Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju inaugurated the students' hostel.
