While discussions are under way on granting autonomy to more colleges, the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) has warned the government of the ills plaguing the sector, which, it said, would defeat the concept of public education and make higher education sector an exclusive preserve of privileged sections. At present, 18 aided and one government college — Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam — under three universities have autonomous status. Representatives of universities said their regulatory powers had been seriously curtailed and the procedures adopted by the colleges were neither accountable nor transparent. The committee said it could not detect any significant qualitative change effected by the colleges in the higher education sector. The committee has recommended the need for having a statutory mechanism to frame rules for the Autonomous College Act passed by the Assembly.

Source: The Hindu May 14, 2019 18:22 UTC