While the Government of Kerala reacted strongly against the "marks jihad" remarks by a Delhi University (DU) professor in the wake of a high number of Kerala students gaining admission to colleges under DU, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed concern over students migrating to other states for higher education.
"The higher educational institutions in the state should become centres of excellence with global standards," the chief minister said during his inaugural address at the 63rd state conference of the All Kerala Private College Teachers Association (AKPCTA) at the Ayyankali Hall on Friday.
"We need to think about why so many students from Kerala are joining Delhi and other universities and colleges. The courses that students want to learn are unavailable here. We have to find a solution to this. New courses should be started in the higher education sector. Each institution should have the necessary environment to increase academic standards. Libraries should be well-equipped so that students can use them any time. All shortcomings should be addressed and universities, research institutes and colleges should become centres of excellence," he said.
Pinarayi also pointed out that many foreign students come to Kerala for higher studies.
"They come here because it is a state of secularism, democracy, peace and freedom of thought. The union government and its spokespersons are trying to see how to divide the people rather than unite them. They distort history and create new history artificially," he said.
He said at a time when the union government itself is spreading superstition and false history instead of scientific thinking, the teachers' union — as an academic community — has a responsibility to espouse the right things.
Delivering the keynote address, Higher Education Minister R Bindu said efforts have been made to usher in a comprehensive change in the state's higher education sector.
"Commissions have been appointed to study and report on higher education reform, university law reform and the modernisation of examination. An expert committee will be formed to resolve the confusion over the workload of teachers, and adalats will be held at the offices of the deputy director of higher education to take up service pay applications and grievances," Bindu said.
