KOCHI: The University Institute of Technology (UIT), a chain of under-graduate colleges run directly by Kerala University, is under the scanner after the University Grants Commission (UGC) sought an explanation from the university on alleged violations and anomalies in the way these institutes are functioning.There are a total of 34 UITs run by the university. The allegation is that they do not comply with some of the basic norms prescribed by UGC including the mandatory requirement of two acres of land in metropolitan cities and five acres in other areas.
Most of them are reported to be functioning from rented buildings without even mandatory facilities like libraries, laboratories and computer labs. Prasanth Ramesh, a Kollam native who enrolled for the BBA course from UIT at Neyyattinkara in 1998 before dropping out to complete the course from another university, had filed a detailed complaint with the UGC on the state of affairs at UITs.
“Kerala University is running UITs with the objective of minting money and for its political interests like appointing party sympathisers as teachers and staff. There is no academic interest at all,” he told TNIE.
“The university is also appointing teachers who are below par, and this reflects in the students’ academic performance.”In a letter dated December 29, 2020, UGC education officer Latha K C asked the university to inquire into the complaints and take appropriate action. But the university syndicate has not discussed the matter yet, though the letter was received more than a month ago, the complaint said.
Despite running these institutions directly, Kerala University has not taken any step to grade them under NAAC, which is needed as part of quality enhancement measures, the complaint said. Besides, there is hardly any research happening with the university. Kerala University vice-chancellor V P Mahadevan Pillai did not respond to phone calls TNIE made for comment. Meanwhile, Muralidharan Pillai G, a syndicate member, said the varsity is acquiring land in many places for UITs to provide better facilities to students. “The state budget has been allocating `1 crore each for the past several years for the upkeep and maintenance of UITs,” he said. He later told that he was unaware of the UGC letter.
“During my time, in 1998-2001, classes were conducted in a godown of the excise department. Later, we moved to the court complex, where all types of people would roam around. The classrooms used to be littered with leftover food and alcohol bottles as they were the beehive of miscreants. When I checked the situation now, I found that the situation is still the same,” Prasanth said.Meanwhile, an official with a private college, who wished not to be named, said UITs are akin to parallel colleges of the 1980s and 1990s, when students could register for exams in any of the universities in the state while studying at these colleges.