Kerala govt. to fast-track steps to launch private universities in State

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that steps will be fast-tracked to set up private universities in the State

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that steps will be fast-tracked to set up private universities in the State.

He was replying to the suggestions put forward by invited guests at a breakfast meeting held as part of the ongoing Navakerala Sadas, the public outreach programme of the Left Democratic Front government, on Saturday.

Mr. Vijayan said that the government had already given permission for private universities. “Our education sector, and the situation across the world, has changed a lot. If we don’t change accordingly, we will be left behind. The higher education sector here has improved to a large extent,” he pointed out. Mr. Vijayan said that the tie-up with foreign universities would be strengthened further.

The Chief Minister said that a demand had arisen from various quarters to set apart more areas in the plantation sector for developing the tourism sector. A consensus, however, was yet to emerge. The government’s policy was to conserve the plantations. The suggestion to set up a State medical research centre for the collection and analysis of data on lifestyle diseases and communicable diseases would be considered. Follow-up steps would be taken to have an architecture policy, he added.

Later, addressing the media, Mr. Vijayan accused the Centre of denying the point of call permission for foreign aircraft to run their services from the Kannur International Airport. He said that international services were a must if the non-resident Indians within the airport’s catchment area were to benefit from it. He said that though the State government had acquired 14.5 acres for developing the runway end-safety area at the Calicut International Airport, tender proceedings were yet to begin. Mr. Vijayan alleged that the Union government was trying to handover the running of airports in the country to the private sector.

Asked about the complaint filed against Minister for Ports Ahammad Devarkovil at the Navakerala Sadas in Kozhikode on Friday, the Chief Minister said it was not of a personal nature. “It is related to a company and under the court’s consideration,” Mr. Vijayan said. A.K. Yusuf, a native of Vadakara, had filed the complaint directly to the Chief Minister, accusing Mr. Devarkovil of cheating and threatening him. Mr. Yusuf also claimed that though he had a favourable court order asking Mr. Devarkovil to pay up Rs. 63 lakh, the latter was refusing to oblige. The Chief Minister reiterated his allegation that Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan had threatened the secretary of the Paravur Municipality not to allot funds for the sadas.