Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) has bagged the fourth Chancellor’s Award for 2017-18. Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) has been selected for the Chancellor’s Award for the Best Emerging Young University during the same period.
The Raj Bhavan made the formal announcement on Saturday after Governor P. Sathasivam accepted the recommendations of the selection committee that was constituted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) to identify the award recipients.
The Chancellor’s Award carries a cash prize of ₹5 crore, while the Best Emerging Young University will receive a prize of ₹1 crore.
Second time
This is the second time that both universities are receiving the respective awards. While Mahatma Gandhi University had won the Chancellor’s Award for 2015-16, KVASU had received the award for the best Emerging Young University for 2016- 17.
KSHEC vice chairman P.M. Rajan Gurukkal submitted the recommendation to the Chancellor at Raj Bhavan. The nine-member selection committee was chaired by C.N.R. Rao, National Research Professor and Honorary President, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru.
The panel also comprised Ranganath H. Annegowda, former Director, National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC); Suresh Das, Executive Director, Kerala State Council of Science, Technology and Environment; Debashis Chatterjee, Director, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode ; Prabhath Patnaik, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Economic Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; J.A.K. Tareen, former Vice Chancellor, Central University, Pondicherry; Prof. Gurukkal, Usha Titus, Principal Secretary (Higher Education) as members and KSHEC member secretary Rajan Varughese, as convener.
Period of assessment
The period of assessment was from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.
Ten universities competed for the awards. Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies and Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University too were considered for the Emerging Young University category.
Did not participate
Kerala University of Health Sciences, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University did not participate in the competition.
