As political clearance of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is awaited on applications of seven colleges seeking autonomy, a section of the academia is understood to have cautioned the government and the front leadership against according the right for self-governance without due deliberations.
Higher Education Department sources told The Hindu that academics had flagged a volley of complaints that had come up before universities against such colleges regarding their admission procedures, conduct of courses and examinations, and also about the alleged arbitrariness in awarding internal and external scores to students.
While certain colleges are functioning without giving room for much complaints, serious grievances have been raised about many others, especially about the way courses are being designed and launched without securing the mandatory consent of the university concerned or the government. Some of the managements had to pay a fine for violation of norms, sources said.
Doubts have been raised about the confidentiality in preparing question papers and holding examinations. The alleged preferential treatment to select students and the yawning gap between internal and external marks of students have also been raised in support of the argument against granting autonomy to more colleges.
Studies conducted by Kerala University, Mahatma Gandhi University and Kerala Higher Education Council about the functioning of such institutions have been cited to substantiate their stance against granting autonomy to more colleges. Their opaque style of functioning is feared to limit the scope for scrutiny. The CPI(M) State secretariat is understood to have discussed the issue of granting autonomy, but no decision has been taken so far.
When contacted, All Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association general secretary P.N. Harikumar said that permission for autonomous colleges were promoted by the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government on the premise of scaling up academic standards and lending a major impetus to the standard of higher education in the State.
But such hopes have been belied and the quality of education has plummeted. Also norms of social justice, reservation for weaker sections, affordable fees rates and admission based on merit are all being violated in gay abandon.
The government should go for an extensive study on the functioning of such colleges and pilot a legislation to rein them in if needed, Mr. Harikumar said.
