Former Kerala Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has called for the immediate withdrawal of a government directive that allows autonomous, aided, and self-financing colleges to increase student intake without obtaining prior state approval. Mr. Vijayan, a senior leader of the CPI(M), argued that the move represents a significant retreat from established regulatory norms and poses a threat to the integrity of the state’s higher education system.
The controversy stems from allegations that the state government has relaxed oversight mechanisms following meetings between representatives of college managements and the Higher Education Minister. Mr. Vijayan highlighted that a previous circular issued by the Higher Education Department on September 11 had explicitly mandated government approval for introducing new courses or increasing seat capacity in these institutions. He contended that the government has now effectively bypassed these safeguards, claiming the decision was made to benefit private college owners.
"The current provision that no government no-objection certificate (NOC) is required for starting unaided courses and increasing seats in autonomous aided and self-financing colleges is shocking," Mr. Vijayan stated. He argued that the decision to remove the requirement for prior scrutiny essentially grants colleges the discretion to expand their operations without assessing actual necessity or impact. According to the former Chief Minister, this shift undermines the educational rights of the public, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who rely on government-regulated seat structures.
Central to Mr. Vijayan’s criticism is the potential for the "commercialisation of education." He alleged that the government’s move to permit colleges to report seat increases only after the admission process is completed—while doing away with mandatory annual inspections—amounts to a deliberate conspiracy. He claimed that this lack of oversight could lead to the sale of seats and the potential subversion of merit-based admissions and established reservation policies. He questioned whose interests were being served by these concessions, suggesting that the government had succumbed to undue pressure from private interests.
The opposition leader further pointed out that these changes appear to contradict past government assurances made before the Supreme Court. He noted that the state had previously committed to preventing the large-scale introduction of self-financing courses within aided colleges. By allowing institutions to bypass government scrutiny, Mr. Vijayan argued that the administration is effectively dismantling the regulatory framework designed to ensure fair and equitable access to higher education.
In light of these concerns, Mr. Vijayan has formally demanded that the government initiate a comprehensive legal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the dilution of the September 11 circular's provisions. He insists that the state must hold private college managements accountable and restore the mandatory approval process to prevent what he describes as the systemic corruption of the admission process. As of November 8, 2026, the demand remains a focal point of the political discourse in Kerala, with the Opposition pressing for transparency and a return to stricter administrative control over academic expansion.
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