Vijayan seeks immediate reversal of decision

Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday demanded the withdrawal of revised higher education rules allowing certain autonomous colleges to introduce self-financing courses and increase seats without prior government clearance, warning that the changes could encourage commercialisation.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader accused the state government of yielding to pressure from private college managements and weakening safeguards intended to regulate admissions, course expansion and access to higher education.

Vijayan called for a comprehensive legal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the revision of a Higher Education Department circular issued on September 11. That circular had required prior government approval for new courses and seat increases across government, aided and autonomous colleges.

The revised guidelines remove the requirement for a separate government no-objection certificate for new self-financing courses in self-financing autonomous colleges and the self-financing streams of aided autonomous institutions. Universities and relevant regulatory authorities may also approve increases in seats for existing self-financing courses without separate government sanction.

The relaxation does not apply to every category of institution or course. Prior government approval remains necessary for introducing courses in the aided stream and for permanent increases in aided seats. The distinction is central to the scope of the government’s decision and the controversy surrounding it.

Vijayan argued that allowing institutions greater discretion over seat numbers without a government assessment of educational requirements could undermine established oversight. He questioned whether the policy had been changed to accommodate managements rather than address demonstrable academic needs.

He also challenged the timing of the concessions, saying they followed discussions between representatives of college managements and the Higher Education Minister, Roji M John. His suggestion that the changes resulted from improper pressure remains an allegation, rather than an established finding.

The opposition leader raised concerns about the consequences for merit-based admissions and reservation provisions. He alleged that reducing government scrutiny and permitting notification of seat increases after admissions could create opportunities for irregularities, including the sale of seats. No specific instance of wrongdoing was established in his statement.

Vijayan said the changes threatened the educational interests of students from economically disadvantaged families. He maintained that public regulation was necessary to prevent commercial considerations from displacing admission safeguards and the broader purpose of higher education.

He further contended that the relaxation conflicted with assurances previously given before the Supreme Court concerning the expansion of self-financing courses in aided colleges. The precise legal implications of that contention have not been determined in the material available about the new circular.

The revised framework nevertheless retains a role for universities and regulatory authorities. Institutions are not given an unrestricted exemption from academic regulations merely because separate government permission is no longer required for specified self-financing courses or additional seats.

Under the guidelines, colleges must inform the government in advance about qualifying new self-financing courses. Universities must subsequently submit details of newly introduced courses and increased seat numbers after admissions are completed for each academic year.

The department has also replaced annual renewal of the relevant no-objection certificates with a three-year cycle. This reduces the frequency of administrative renewals for colleges operating within the categories covered by the revised arrangements.

The prescribed payments include a challan fee of Rs 650 per course and an affidavit fee of Rs 810, covering the three-year approval period. Colleges already granted approval for the 2026-27 academic year have separate provisions governing payments for the remaining years before their next renewal.