Kerala University sitting on Rs 5-crore prize money for a year!

The KU, which bagged the inaugural Chancellor’s Award for the Best Universityin 2014-15, has not utilised a single paise from the R5-crore prize money
Kerala
Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The University Of Kerala, which was conferred with the inaugural Chancellor’s Award instituted by Governor P Sathasivam for the Best University in 2014-15, has not utilised a single paise from the Rs 5-crore prize money it had received a year ago.

Incidentally, the Governor is slated to chair a meeting of the selection committee on Saturday to shortlist the universities competing for the award’s second edition (2015-16). The award was instituted to “nurture the spirit of healthy competition among the universities and make them vibrant centres of learning.”

The state government had provided Rs 5 crore in the state budget for the award. The prize money is meant for capital expenditure for any major project by the award-winning university.

According to sources in the University of Kerala, though various departments have submitted proposals on utilising the prize money from the Chancellor’s award, no portion of the fund has been spent.

“The proposals would need the Syndicate’s approval. However, the Syndicate’s nod has not yet been obtained for utilising the fund,” admitted P K Raju, Finance Officer, University of Kerala. Vice Chancellor P K Radhakrishnan was unavailable for comment despite repeated phone calls and text messages.

“This shows the administrative inefficiency that plagues most of the state universities. Though adequate funds are provided, the universities lack a proper road map on execution of the projects,” said R S Sasikumar, convenor of the Kerala Higher Education Protection Council.

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