Calicut University stands at the threshold of expansion with applications for the approval of 155 new courses and two new colleges in five districts for the academic year 2025.
These applications are at the inspection stage, with the District Level Inspection Committee (DLIC) having completed their reviews and forwarded the reports to the Syndicate, which is responsible for issuing the No Objection Certificate (NOC), stated a report by Mathrubhumi.
These will be included in the agenda of the upcoming Syndicate meeting on May 29.
However, the announcement of the Nilambur by-election has decreased the possibility of this agenda being considered, particularly for applications from the Malappuram district.
If special permission is obtained from the Election Commission, the Syndicate may still be able to grant the NOC during this meeting.
Syndicate member TJ Martin has already written to the vice-chancellor, requesting special permission from the Election Commission, emphasising that thousands of students could lose opportunities if approvals are delayed.
The last date for applications without penalty was October 31, 2024, and with penalty was December 31, 2024.
If the College Development Council (CDC) had forwarded these applications to the DLIC on time, the inspections would have been completed by March. However, the committees received the applications only by April, according to the Mathrubhumi report.
Colleges can only receive administrative approval from the government after obtaining the NOC from the Syndicate.
Courses can commence only if the Syndicate or the vice-chancellor grants affiliation.
Most colleges have applied for Innovative courses like BSc Artificial Engineering. BSc Cyber Forensics and BCA.
The delay in approvals comes when the government is working on reforming the higher education sector to retain students who might otherwise go abroad for such courses.
According to the new academic calendar, classes are scheduled to begin on June 2. Delaying the procedures might also affect the academic calendar, potentially impacting thousands of students and their educational prospects.
