The Central University of Kerala (CUK) has clarified that its controversial internal circular dated March 13 seeking to accord sanction for research activities in areas of ‘national priority’ has been highly misinterpreted in a section of the media.
The CUK in a press note on Thursday said the university had advised its research departments that the subject of research should be relevant and useful to the needs of the public. “The usage of ‘national priority’ in the circular means those topics that will benefit the economic, social and technological advancement of the nation and society,” it said.
The research areas may include latest developments in information and communication technology, nano technology, nano medicine, artificial intelligence, space research, nuclear science, sustainable development, climate change and organic farming, among others, it said adding that the research areas should directly benefit society.
“We must avoid repetitive and outdated topics. Of the entire GDP, share for higher education is less than 3% and for research it is below 1.5%,” the clarification of the CUK noted adding that given the limited resources, it is relevant to take up significant topics and cutting-edge areas of research. In many universities and even in Central Universities, research topics were often repeated, it said.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and University Grants Commission (UGC) had been extending these points in an advisory nature, the release said adding that it would never affect the academic freedom of the student community for selecting their research topic. There were no limits for research works, the CUK release said.
Referring to the resignation of Meena Pillai from the CUK Board of Studies in protest against the circular, the press note said that the academic’s resignation was political. “The use of the words ‘national priorities' is not problematic in the present era,” the release said. The same idea had been declared by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the inaugural session of a joint meeting of universities and AKG Study Centre on March 16, it said.
