Latest news with #KSHEC
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
National seminar on diversity of traditional knowledge systems to be held
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu has announced that a national seminar focussing on the diversity of traditional knowledge systems spread across the subcontinent will be soon organised. Presiding over the governing body meeting of the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) here on Friday, Dr. Bindu said the seminar would be conducted in connection with the Knowledge Systems of Kerala course introduced by the council for four-year undergraduate programmes in State-run universities. Industry-academia ties The meeting also constituted a committee comprising Kerala State Planning Board member Jiju P. Alex, former Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor Sabu Thomas and former APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University Vice-Chancellor Rajasree M.S. to prepare comprehensive guidelines and action plans for industry-academia collaborations. The meeting also approved a plan of action prepared on the basis of discussions held at the recent International Conclave on Next-Gen Higher Education. It also recommended steps to address the delay in providing equivalency and recognition for degrees awarded by the Sree Narayana Guru Open University. K-REAP The implementation of the K-REAP programme at Kannur, Sanskrit, Malayalam and Calicut Universities was reviewed. It was also decided to expedite the transition of other universities to the K-REAP software system. The governing body also resolved to operationalise the internship portal 'Internship Kerala 1.0', developed in collaboration with Keltron, by August. Various public sector organisations and local self-government institutions will be linked to the portal. KSHEC vice-chairperson Rajan Gurukkal, member secretary Rajan Varughese and Principal Secretary of the Higher Education department Sharmila Mary Joseph were present.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
KSHEC's push for internationalisation shows gains
The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) has seen remarkable progress with its 'Study in Kerala' initiative, aimed at positioning the State as a prominent destination for higher education. Council vice-chairperson Rajan Gurukkal said that the ongoing internationalisation efforts have already begun to show encouraging results. Universities have been witnessing a notable increase in the number of foreign students seeking admission for various academic programmes. This growing trend of internationalisation has also led to the establishment of academic tie-ups between Kerala's higher education institutions and prestigious foreign universities. A significant milestone was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KSHEC and the University of Michigan-Flint. This agreement opens the door to student exchange programmes and short-term academic visits, Prof. Gurukkal pointed out, adding that discussions are under way with several other international universities for similar partnerships. He also stated that experts like Sapna Thwaite and Zachariah Mathew from University of Michigan-Flint, and Matthew A. Witenstein from University of Dayton, participated in a recent quality enhancement workshop organised to meet globally benchmark standards. 'KSHEC has been instrumental in guiding colleges and universities in the State to explore similar international partnerships. The council's dedicated unit for internationalisation, led by Eldho Mathew, is working closely with national and international bodies to promote Kerala's educational offerings to the global audience. One such example is the council's collaboration with the 'Study in India' programme, a national forum for internationalisation of higher education. Currently, 29 colleges and seven universities from Kerala are part of the forum, Prof. Gurukkal pointed out. The council is also building ties with international organisations like the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which will bring in expert knowledge to further enhance Kerala's education system. Council member secretary Rajan Varughese said the ongoing efforts will be bolstered with the release of KSHEC's new mobile and web application called Scholar Connect. The app will link scholars from Kerala who live abroad with higher education institutions in the State. These scholars, acting as ambassadors, will play a pivotal role in bringing in short-term international students and long-term academic collaborations.
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
As KSHEC flags ‘violations', St Joseph's University defends programme expansion, calls govt report a ‘misreading of norms'
St Joseph's University has refuted allegations made by the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) that it violated state norms by launching new academic programmes and admitting excess students without government approval. The university, in its official response, termed the objections 'a misreading of UGC norms and state-issued guidelines' and said that it would consider raising the matter with the state government. On June 24, the Karnataka Higher Education Department announced a penalty of Rs 4 lakh on the university based on KSHEC's inspection report which found that St Joseph's had introduced over 20 new undergraduate programmes and admitted more than 500 additional students during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 academic years. The report also said that the institution failed to share 60 per cent of its seats with the state, as mandated for private universities. In a detailed response, Prof Dr Melwin Colaco, Registrar of St Joseph's University, said the changes were made in good faith, based on the National Education Policy (NEP) guidelines issued by the state. 'It is our understanding that the council's objections are based on a wrongful reading of UGC norms and the specific directions issued from time to time,' he said. Tracing the developments back to 2021, Prof Colaco explained that when the institution was still St Joseph's College (Autonomous), affiliated to Bangalore City University, it had restructured academic offerings in response to the NEP. 'Three major programmes were reconfigured into two major combinations, thereby increasing the number of programmes offered, though the overall student intake remained the same,' he clarified. To expand access, particularly for students from marginalised communities, the institution introduced a third academic shift (Shift-III), incorporating courses from the erstwhile St Joseph's Evening College. 'A resolution to this effect was passed during the Academic Council meeting in 2021,' Prof Colaco said, adding that the government was kept informed. 'We had sought formal approval from the Government of Karnataka and Bangalore City University, but there was no response. As per the circular dated August 26, 2021, autonomous colleges were permitted to introduce new programmes as long as the government was duly informed.' In July 2022, when the institution became a university, it continued offering the modified programmes, assuming continuity under NEP reforms. Approvals were sought for additional PG and PhD programmes from the KSHEC, which were later approved by an expert committee in 2023. However, during a 2025 inspection, a KSHEC member raised objections to the expanded course list and Shift-III, calling it inconsistent with UGC rules. 'We explained that the shift system was introduced to optimise underutilised infrastructure. These concerns were nevertheless recorded as violations,' Prof Colaco said.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad opposes plan to introduce uniform Kerala Studies course
The Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) has sought the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Higher Education Minister R. Bindu over the introduction of a common curriculum on Kerala Studies in universities. In a memorandum jointly issued by KSSP general secretary P.V. Divakaran and president T.K. Meerabai, the organisation opposed the proposed plan to prepare a common curriculum across all universities based on a book published by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC). Outlining its demands, KSSP stated its opposition towards a unified curriculum or textbook-centric approach for Kerala Studies. Such a stance could undermine the academic autonomy and restrict the ability of universities to reflect regional, cultural and historical diversity of their syllabi. It also stressed that the curriculum should go beyond tracing the conventional span of the State from its prehistoric hunter-gatherer roots to the Renaissance movements, and must include narratives of progressive democratic movements, the communist movement and the formation of modern Kerala. The move to rope in a private firm to publish the textbook has also come in for criticism. Calling the decision a violation of established academic procedures, the organisation demanded the restoration of due academic processes involving the Board of Studies and Academic Councils. Citing that most universities have already developed Kerala Studies content, KSSP urged the government to allow the statutory bodies of universities to independently refine these modules in consultation with the KSHEC, rather than imposing centrally produced content.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Textbook on Indian knowledge systems in Calicut varsity: decision left to V-C
Even as classes for undergraduate (UG) students began in colleges affiliated to the University of Calicut on June 2, a decision is yet to be taken on following the textbook on Indian knowledge systems prepared by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC). The multidisciplinary course is mandatory for third-semester students in the four-year programme. According to official sources, a steering committee on UG courses, which met last week, has left the decision to the Vice-Chancellor (V-C). There was some confusion among a section of teachers about the course after the KSHEC recently brought out the textbook titled Knowledge Systems of Kerala, because the university had already prepared its own syllabus on this much before. The KSHEC released its publication in both English and Malayalam, covering Kerala's traditional knowledge, including its performing arts, oral narratives, cultural practices, and documented literary sources. V-Cs of universities were requested to direct their Boards of Studies to consider this as a foundational resource for course design and syllabus preparation. However, some teachers had claimed it was 'an infringement' on the authority of the statutory academic bodies that are tasked with curriculum development. They pointed out that the syllabus prepared by the university for the course on Kerala Knowledge Systems in 2024 was in line with the National Education Policy framework. It had been vetted by the academic council and the faculty members, too. Also, textbooks had been prepared and classes had begun based on the syllabus prepared by the university. It was claimed that prescribing a uniform syllabus that will have to be taught in translation by the departments of English, Malayalam, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, and other languages was against the concept of academic autonomy.
