Political brawl leaves universities in stalemate: Students bear the brunt

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Power struggles and political conflicts are disrupting the functioning of universities in Kerala, leaving lakhs of students anxious. This unrest comes at a crucial time when admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate courses are underway and may severely impact the process.

The University of Kerala has been in a state of paralysis for 10 days following the suspension of its registrar. Meanwhile, vice-chancellors of Kannur, Calicut, and the Digital University are engaged in disputes with their respective syndicates.

At the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, delays in granting affiliation to new courses may deny engineering opportunities to over 4,500 students. These include more than 70 innovative courses in self-financing colleges that have already received AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) approval.

Courses such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, Cybersecurity, and Integrated MCA – all with high employment potential – were approved six months ago. The university has issued the required NOC (No Objection Certificate), but affiliation is pending due to conflicts within the university syndicate.

Six government-nominated members of the syndicate have completed their terms, while four positions reserved for principals and teachers remain vacant. Although ex-officio members, including government representatives, are part of the syndicate, they often skip meetings. Additionally, a High Court order has restricted the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Shivaprasad, appointed by the Governor, from making policy decisions due to an ongoing case filed by the state government.

Administrative gridlock cripples Kerala universities
1. The University of Kerala, which serves over 1.5 lakh students and is one of the top universities in the country, is now crippled by political disputes between the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar, affecting daily operations.
2. No files are being processed, as approvals require both the Registrar’s and VC’s signatures. For two weeks, files have remained stagnant, and administrative and academic functions have come to a halt.
3. The VC is returning all files sent by the suspended Registrar. The Syndicate has rejected the VC's order not to assign any files to the Registrar.
4. Finance and Planning sections are also affected, as the Registrar's approval is necessary. Applications from colleges remain pending.
5. Student services have been disrupted, including the issuance of degree certificates, migration certificates, and transfer certificates. No decision has been made on extending admission deadlines.

Even pension distribution affected
Due to the failure to pass the budget, the Technological University has been unable to disburse pensions. The three-month vote-on-account approved earlier expired in June. The VC called multiple meetings of the Syndicate and Board of Governors to pass the budget, but all were adjourned due to a lack of quorum.

Additionally, software services have been halted because payments to a private company were not made, which could severely impact the conduct of university exams.