P K Radhakrishnan, who assumed the office of the Kerala University Vice-Chancellor, said that his priority as a Vice-chancellor would be to conduct the examinations on time and to publish the results without delay.
Addressing a news conference at the University’s Senate chamber,the Vice-Chancellor said that for achieving the goal, he required the wholehearted support and cooperation of the students and teachers.
“In the university, from the sweeper to the Vice- Chancellor everyone should help the students. Compared to my student days, these days students are not getting the privileges as in the past,” he said. He said that there should be earnest efforts to update the syllabus. “Everyday changes are taking place in the fields of science and technology. But no real updating is taking place here,” he said.
When asked to comment about the decline in standards of the higher education sector, he said there should be latest infrastructure and technology to reach an inference.
Asked about the university’s role in generating new knowledge through research, the Vice-Chancellor said,” We cannot reach up to the standard of IITs and Central Universities for want of proper new infrastructure”. When pointed out that Kerala University had no NAAC accreditation, he said that he came to know about it only today. Commenting on the current trend of large number of students from Kerala migrating to other states and Central Universities even for higher studies in arts and science courses, he said that for bringing back the students, our society should be more disciplined and there should be collective responsibility.
The Vice-Chancellor excused himself from answering on controversial issues as he had not studied the issues plaguing the university. It is after a gap of one year, following the retirement of A Jayakrishnan, a new Vice- Chancellor has been appointed. Pro Vice-Chancellor N Veeramanikandan and other officials also attended.