The Assembly on Friday passed the Sree Narayana Guru Open University Bill, 2021, after incorporating certain modifications that were reported by the Subject Committee on Education and others proposed by the legislators.
The legislation is the last to be passed by the 14th Kerala Legislative Assembly. It also marked the culmination of the 22nd and final session of the House that commenced on January 8.
Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel, who had tabled the Bill on January 18, allayed concerns raised by legislators on the validity of the certificates that will be issued by the Sree Narayana Guru Open University (SNGOU), especially in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
He said utmost care was being taken to prepare the syllabus of the academic programmes. The process of constituting committees for the purpose is in the final stages.
While the university has been modelled on the lines of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), it will incorporate elements of the blended learning system that has gained prominence the world over.
Mr. Jaleel said innovative programmes that enabled students to specialise in two subjects, such as English and Journalism, at the same time would be offered by the university. Such courses would improve their job prospects.
The university is also exploring the possibilities to enter into agreement with the Department of Factories and Boilers to offer a safety management course under the distance education mode.
Mr. Jaleel said the university would offer science courses that would make it stand apart from other open universities. While such programmes would be held for the first time under the distance education mode, efforts were being made by the university to enter into agreements with affiliated colleges to utilise their facilities, including laboratories, and employ the services of their faculty on Saturdays, Sundays and other holidays.
While tabling the Bill, the Minister said the university would have four regional centres, three of them in the Malabar region considering the greater proportion of students. These would come up in Pattambi, Kozhikode and Kannur.
Winding up the discussions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said degree certificates issued by the university would be equivalent to those by any other university. Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, while expressing his support for the passage of the Bill, called for caution to ensure that the institution named after social reformer Sree Narayana Guru did not wade into controversies.
Among the various changes mooted by the Subject Committee, an elected legislator and a student representative will be nominated to the Syndicate and Senate of the university. The age limit for Vice Chancellors (at the time of appointment) has been decreased from 65 to 60 years on the basis of the panel's recommendation. Besides, the Bill also did away with the proposed School of Business Studies and Public Policy, while the name of the School of Public Administration and Policy Studies has been modified as School of Public Administration and Policy Research.
