THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though pro-CPM student and teacher organisations are against the concept of autonomous colleges, education minister C Raveendranath has justified the sanctioning of such institutions in the state. Replying to an un-starred question in the assembly, he said that such colleges are required for designing and introducing new courses that are relevant to the changing times and that can meet local demands. “It has been decided to provide academic autonomy to colleges that display excellence, without any intervention from the government, but on the basis of certain criteria. Such colleges that are provided autonomy are empowered to design or revise their own syllabus and launch new courses,” he said, while answering a question whether the government has any plans to provide autonomy to colleges in the state.
He also said the Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam and 18 private colleges have so far been granted autonomous status in the state. The Left-allied student and teacher organisations had strongly protested against the previous UDF government’s move to provide autonomy to the colleges and their names were submitted to the UGC. The SFI had even organized a protest against the UDF move when the then education minister Abdu Rabb visited the Maharaja’s College in Kochi. During the height of protest, Raveendranath who was an opposition MLA, had served notices for adjournment motion in the assembly which criticised the UDF government sternly.