The decision to allow private universities in Kerala is a significant policy shift for the state government and a complete U-turn for the CPI (M). However, the volte-face could benefit the state and be seen as a sign of changing times and policies. The CPI (M) vehemently opposed opening up the higher education sector in the past, often resorting to violence to resist attempts to “privatise” education. In 1994, five workers of CPI (M)’s youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, died in police firing at Kannur’s Koothuparamba while protesting against the then Congress-led government’s education policies. One injured worker remained bedridden for 30 years till his death in 2024, and was celebrated as a living martyr and a symbol of the party’s stand against the privatisation of education. In 2016, CPI (M)’s student wing Students' Federation of India manhandled the vice-chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council, T P Sreenivasan, at the ‘Global Education Meet’ held at Kovalam to protest what it called an attempt to “commercialise higher education”.
Against this backdrop, the Pinarayi Vijayan government has bravely rolled out the red carpet for private universities, overcoming stiff resistance within the CPI (M) and the ruling front. The government may soon table a draft bill that the cabinet approved last week. It is a fact that while Kerala has made laudable strides in most spheres, it has remained significantly behind several states in higher education, primarily due to its inexplicable conservatism towards changes in the sector. The quality of higher education is the primary reason for the alarming outflow of students from the state. This reality prompted the government to see logic in opening up the sector, though the move has come at least two decades behind its time.
Defending the decision, the chief minister said it aligns with the Kerala development model and promised to ensure social justice. Wisdom seems to have finally dawned on the CPI (M). Changing with time is a necessity, not an option. Opening up the education sector, coupled with other reformative measures this government initiated, can be a game-changer for Kerala. However, new universities should get adequate freedom to function at their full potential and not subjected to unreasonable restrictions. The government, on its part, must remain fully committed to implementing its plans without bowing to ideological pressures and political compulsions. No half-measures will do.