Kerala governor’s allegation on politicization of education sector becomes relevant

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Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s earlier criticism that Kerala’s higher education sector was adrift due to politicization seems to be quite relevant now, as a series of allegations that Ruling CPM student leaders are getting undue favors from institutions of higher education now have to go up.

In recent weeks, the state has witnessed allegations involving leaders and activists of the Student Federation of India (SFI), the student organization of CPM, gaining undue favors from colleges.

Read also | Kerala center of anti-left and pro-right media, not seen anywhere else in the world: CPI(M)

A university principal in Thiruvananthapuram is accused of falsely claiming that an SFI leader won the university union election even though he was unable to stand for election due to his advanced age.

The SFI Secretary of State, Prime Minister Arsho, was declared successful in the examinations by the Maharaja’s college in Kochi, even though he did not attend the examinations. Although it is a technical problem, the problem affected the credentials of the prestigious institution. Another former SFI activist is accused of falsifying experience certificates from the same government college.

The latest is an IFC leader, Nikhil Thomas, who is accused of being admitted to a postgraduate business course at MSM College Kayamkulam in Alappuzha even though he failed to pass the final exams of studies. He allegedly presented a fake certificate of achievement from a private university outside Kerala.

The opposition Party Congress alleged that in most of these cases there were interventions by CPM leaders for undue favors given to their student cadres.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had locked horns with the CPM government in Kerala, mainly over the appointment of vice chancellors in universities in the state. His main argument, rather worrying, was the political interventions in the appointments. He even said that the state’s higher education sector has gone to the dogs. But the governor’s intervention was then widely interpreted as attempts by the BJP to make political interventions in non-BJP ruling states.

Education reform campaigners say the allegations raised by the Governor have now been proven to be true.

“The governor’s comments on the politicization of universities have now become very evident,” said RS Sasikumar of Save Education Forum, an NGO that fights unhealthy practices in the state’s education sector.

He said the public education sector is witnessing a clash between academic interest and vested interest. As the governor insisted, academicians deemed without vested interests should be appointed vice-chancellors of universities so that vested interests can be largely resisted.

After the governor tried to resist political appointments in universities by exercising his powers as chancellor, the CPM government had to change university laws removing the governor from the position of chancellor of universities. But the governor has not yet approved the bill passed by the assembly in this regard.

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