Page 171 - economic review

143 SOCIAL SERVICE

Box No 4.2

The Kerala Perspective Plan 2030 on Education

The Kerala Perspective Plan 2030 proposes a shift from knowledge disseminating approach
to knowledge creating approach, which can set the tone for administrative and academic re-
forms in higher education.This requires a shift from “instruction mode” to “learning mode”. It
also proposes to develop five global knowledge cities in Kerala over the next 20 years. These
will be in Kozhikode, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Malappuram. The locations
proposed are based on three criteria

i) Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Kozhikode already having clusters of educational
institutions.

ii) Palakkad may get an IIT during the 12th plan period. This will provide a platform for a
technical hub.

iii) A health city is being planned in Malappuram creating a base for medical education.
The global cities will be connected with knowledge spokes in each district based on its

competitive advantages in a specialised branch of knowledge and activity.

Source: The Kerala Perspective Plan 2030 (Draft)

Autonomous Colleges in Kerala

4.33 The affiliating system of colleges was originally designed when their number in a university
was small. The university could then effectively oversee the working of the colleges, act as an
examining body and award degrees on their behalf. The system has now become unwieldy and it
is becoming increasingly difficult for a university to attend to the varied needs of individual colleges.
The colleges do not have the freedom to modernize their curricula or make them locally relevant.
The regulations of the university and its common system, governing all colleges alike, irrespective of
their characteristic strengths, weaknesses and locations, have affected the academic development
of individual colleges. Colleges that have the potential for offering programmes of a higher standard
do not have the freedom to offer them. Highlighting the importance of autonomous colleges, the UGC
document on the XI Plan profile of higher education in India clearly states that: “The only safe and
better way to improve the quality of undergraduate education is to delink most of the colleges from
the affiliating structure. Colleges with academic and operative freedom are doing better and have
more credibility. The financial support to such colleges boosts the concept of autonomy.”

4.34 The Committee on autonomy for institutions of higher education in Kerala stated in its report
(submitted on 25th April 2013) that there are colleges in Kerala in the Government and private sectors
which deserve autonomy and which can prove their full academic potential if only greater freedom
is given to take risks with responsibility. The Committee strongly recommended that Kerala should
introduce this reform without further delay. In the Budget speech of 2013, the Finance Minister of the
State has announced the policy decision of granting autonomy to the deserving colleges in the state.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has granted autonomous status to nine colleges in the
state for the 2014-15 academic year. The colleges are Maharaja’s College, Eranakulam; Mar Ivanios
College, Thiruvananthapuram; Fatima Mata National College, Kollam; SB College, Changanassery;
St Teresa’s College, Ernakulam; Sacred Heart College, Thevara; Rajagiri College of Social Sciences,
Kochi; St Thomas College, Thrissur and St Thomas College, Devagiri.

Economic Review 2014