‘Bleak future’ for Kerala universities as political spats rage on

An ongoing tussle for control of universities between the Indian central government and the opposition-led Keralan state authorities is expected to worsen, throwing institutions in the region into further crisis and potentially driving students away. 

The state government has been attempting to pass an amendment that would expand the powers of university pro-chancellors and registrars. Kerala’s state minister of higher education is currently the pro-chancellor of state universities, while the governor, who is appointed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is the chancellor. 

The bill is widely perceived as an attempt to dilute the governor’s power and gain greater control of the state’s universities. It would allow the pro-chancellor to issue directives, investigate issues at universities and preside over senate meetings. 

Jayakrishnan Athipettah, a senior scientist at the University of Kerala and a former vice-chancellor of the institution, believed the bill would allow the pro-chancellor to “bypass” the vice-chancellor, effectively rendering the latter “powerless”, which he describes as a “bizarre spectacle”. 

It seems unlikely that the governor will give assent to the bill if passed, but he could instead refer it for consideration by the president, who is also aligned with the BJP. Previously the president withheld assent for changes to university legislation in Kerala. In response, the state government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, which has led the court to scrutinise BJP governors’ treatment of bills in key opposition states. 

However, some believe the ongoing spat will damage universities whatever the outcome, with calls for an end to political interference from both sides. 

“Unnecessary interventions by the chancellor’s office go against federalism in education. However, more powers for the pro-chancellor need to be revisited,” said C. M. Malish, assistant professor at the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. 

“In my opinion, political parties should take their hands off the universities, and let academia lead it organically,” said Achuthsankar Nair, a former professor at the University of Kerala. “This of course is not possible in the near future in Kerala, as higher education is seen as a recruiting ground by political parties.”

He predicted that students would begin to choose alternative institutions to those affected by the political rows, including turning to the burgeoning private sector or studying abroad. The Keralan government has recently approved draft legislation permitting private universities to set up in the state, provoking a backlash from faculty members at the state’s public universities, who say their institutions already struggle to attract students. 

According to the higher education minister, nearly 40 per cent of seats at the University of Kerala were vacant in the 2024-25 academic year, inclusive of those at its affiliated colleges.

“Unless both state and central governments take their hands off universities and enable their organic growth through competent leadership, the future is bleak,” said Nair.

Despite these concerns, it seems unlikely that anything will change, with similar rows having played out in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal in recent years.

“This is not a good sign when these types of tensions are so loud…and visible,” said Deepti Acharya, associate professor of political science at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. “People are not looking at universities very respectfully, as they should otherwise.”

“I think the mud-slinging will continue and there will be a tussle between the governor and the government in non-BJP-ruled states,” added Athipettah. “The victims are the universities, their academic autonomy and their normal functioning.”

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com