Faced with a worrying trend of atrocities and discrimination against women in campuses, the government has given shape to a gender sensitisation programme in colleges.
Spearheaded by the Directorate of Collegiate Education, the Samabhavanayude Salkalaasaalakal programme aimed at creating equal opportunity for all students.
SHE on the anvil
Making the announcement during his policy address in the Assembly on Friday, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan added that another programme ‘Scheme for Her Empowerment in Engineering Education (SHE) was also on the anvil to encourage girls into technical fields.
The Kerala State Higher Education Council is set to launch the next phase of the KALNET (Kerala Academic Library Network) programme that aims at digitising and preserving rare library collections and manuscripts in universities and other libraries in the State. The council has also initiated the Brain Gain Project in association with the State Planning Board to create a database of Keralite academic diaspora all over the world.
He reiterated the government’s resolve to improve the standing of educational institutions in global rankings through a shift in investment and approach to teaching and research. The government will also establish centres of excellence in various universities.
The College Education department will implement a Green Campus Project to reduce carbon footprint in all its institutions and offices by switching to renewable energy sources.
The Institute for Climate Change Studies has launched a National Aerosol and Bioaerosol at High Altitude Laboratory in association with the IIT Madras that established a short-term weather simulation system for understanding the weather scenario in advance.
Diabetic studies
The Governor added that the Institute of Advanced Virology has been developed to conduct cutting-edge research on diagnosis and management of different viruses. It has commenced research to develop antivirus and strived to achieve excellence in the field especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. An Institute of Diabetic Studies will also be established in the State, he said.
