AISF urges Kerala government to withdraw Act permitting private universities
The All India Students Federation (AISF), the student wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has demanded that the Kerala government withdraw the Kerala State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2025, which permits private universities in Kerala.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, A. Adhin, newly elected State secretary of AISF, said the idea of private universities goes against the stated policy of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
'We cannot ignore the fact that the private universities will have a detrimental effect on the State's education sector. Though the proponents of the Act claim that it will be effective in controlling the migration of students to other countries, the Kerala Migration Survey points out other factors, including quality of life, for such migration. Despite the government's claim that it will have a control over the fee structure in private universities, the experience in the other States shows that this is not always possible. The government should understand the fact that the private universities have only led to a fall in the quality of education,' said Mr. Adhin.
The AISF also demanded that the State government appoint a commission to study the fee hikes in Central as well as State universities. 'The fee hikes have made higher studies unaffordable to a large section of students. The commission should be formed with representatives from student organisations, said Mr. Adhin.
The State conference of the AISF which was held in Palakkad district last week also passed a resolution calling for the disbanding of the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the frequent lapses related to the conduct of major examinations, causing uncertainty for a large number of students. The responsibility for the conduct of examinations should be returned to the University Grants Commission (UGC) as well as the universities as the NTA has been functioning in a non-transparent manner, it said.
Joint fight against terrorism
The organisation also called for a joint fight against terrorism, in the light of the terror attacks targeting tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir.
The State conference also elected a 19-member State executive and 65-member State committee. Bibin Abraham was elected as the State president, while M. Rahul, Nadirah Mehrin, Krishnapriya, S.Govind and P.A. Ismail were elected as the State vice presidents. Aslam Shah, K.A. Akhilesh, Jobin Jacob, B. Darshith and P. Anras were elected as joint secretaries.
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