THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kariavattom campus is set for an overhaul with a slew of projects envisaged in the Kerala University budget. The thrust is on raising it to international standards and turning it into a green, model campus. The university budget for the financial year 2022-2023 was presented in the senate meeting here on Friday by finance committee convenor K H Babujan, estimating a revenue of
Rs 771.29 crore and an expenditure of an equal amount.
Vice-Chancellor V P Mahadevan Pillai presided over the budget presentation. The budget has set aside
Rs 565.53 crore for the non-plan fund category and Rs 45 crore for the plan fund category. While Rs 136.84 crore has been earmarked in the debit and deposit category, Rs 23.92 crore was set apart for the fund category. The University College of Engineering will be developed as a research centre, which has been allocated Rs 40 lakh.
A grand research festival is planned at the Kariavattom campus where research guides and scholars from affiliated colleges and education departments can meet and be introduced to the research equipment and the various possibilities on the campus.
The project gets Rs 50 lakh. Funds have also been allocated to turn the campus into a carbon-neutral one.
“The campus is set to become carbon-free. Measures have already been initiated towards that end. Soon, the campus will be run entirely on solar power,” Babujan said.
A renaissance corridor will be set up on the campus, with shade trees and seating areas on either side.
Reliefs of noted social, cultural and political stalwarts, like Dr Palpu, Sree Narayana Guru, Chattambi Swamikal, A K Gopalan, P Krishnapillai and Accamma Cherian, will be set up.
An amount of Rs 2 crore has been set aside for this alone. As an ode to the late poet Sugathakumari, a ‘Smrithi Vanam’ will be created. “We have cut down all the acacia trees on the campus and are replacing them with fruit trees,” he added.
The syllabus and education style will be made research-oriented, with Rs 20 lakh allocated to organise national and international seminars with the involvement of affiliated colleges. The university will also launch education and research centres abroad, in countries like the UAE and Kuwait.
A sum of Rs 10 lakh has been announced for a Virtual IT Cadre proposed to be set up in the university to ensure speedy services. Plans are also afoot to offer a platform for the students to interact with Nobel laureates and other leading scholars, the project getting Rs 20 lakh.
Thrust will also be given to faculty exchange programmes which will raise the university to international standards. An amount of Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for the purpose. The university will join hands with industrial establishments for research. The students will also get opportunities to do an internship here, Babujan said. An amount of Rs 25 lakh has been earmarked for this.