The Subject Committee on education presented its report on the University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in the Assembly on Monday with certain revisions in the proposed legislation. The proposed legislation is scheduled to be taken up for discussion in the House on September 1.
The Subject Committee recommended deeming the law to have come into force on August 1. While the Bill was originally meant to “come into force at once”, the modification has been widely seen as intended to circumvent the hurdle caused by the launch of the appointment process for the next Vice Chancellor of Kerala University. The Raj Bhavan had formally commenced the exercise on August 5 without including the nominee of the university Senate.
The panel also retained the proposed composition of the search-cum-selection committee amidst reports that the government could replace the vice chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council with a nominee of the council.
Voices of dissent
Two members of the Subject Committee, Abid Hussain Thangal and T.V. Ibrahim of the Indian Union Muslim League, registered their dissent by stating the amendments were in violation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. The proposed provision that would require the Chancellor to choose from a panel recommended by a majority of the members of the search-cum-selection committee is aimed at increasing the government’s influence over the functioning of universities, they alleged.
