THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has decided not to sanction new courses for unaccredited self-financing colleges, Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel said while chairing the governing body meeting of the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KHSEC) here on Tuesday.The governing body also decided to reduce the fee for the accreditation by the State Assessment and Accreditation Centre (SAAC) to `25,000 for colleges. The amount will be reimbursed when the institution obtains accreditation.
A committee, chaired by KSHEC vice chairperson Rajan Gurukkal, has been constituted to study the possibility of starting interdisciplinary degree programmes with cooperation from various universities. The committee will also explore the possibility of universities starting new courses in latest disciplines in Tenure-Track mode. The meeting also decided to waive off the age limit for applying for Assistant Professor/Professor posts as per the UGC regulation.
The meeting recommended doing away with the practice of obtaining equivalency certificate. Candidates having degree in the main subject or allied subjects should be considered on a par for jobs and higher studies. Special rules will be amended to do away with the need to produce equivalency certificate for PSC. The meeting also urged universities to end the practice of awarding regional weightage for admission. Universities should also implement biometric security instead of the password system. Steps will also be taken to integrate all university libraries on a common platform.