TRIVANDRUM, 31 July — Kerala has finally given its approval to the private sector to open professional colleges in the state. This was the first major decision of the A.K. Antony government, which was sworn in May 18, and was taken last week.
The Cabinet sanctioned that from the next academic year, professional education in the state would be open to the private sector on a self-financing basis.
Among those who have been allowed to start such colleges are corporate managements and trusts. But the Cabinet decided that no individuals would get the sanction.
According to Vincent Panikulangara of the Parents Association for Professional Education (PAPER), every year more than 25,000 students from the state cough up 60 billion rupees as donations and fees to other southern states that have a large number of professional colleges.
The government decision, according to the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Oommen Chandy, will benefit Kerala students and their parents in a big way. “As a result of this, students who cannot afford to pay huge donations in other states would get admissions here from next year,” he said.
Today there are just 32 engineering colleges in the state with an annual intake of around 8,500 seats. Likewise there are just six medical colleges and two dental colleges with an annual intake of 800 and 80 seats respectively. With the government sanctioning 12 self-financing engineering colleges, it is expected that in the current year, for which admissions have begun, around 1,500 more seats would be added.
The previous government’s Education Minister P.J. Joseph had sanctioned 32 self-financing engineering colleges in March. But the Cabinet did not clear it fearing opposition from the student wing of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), the then ruling party.
