THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), that was tabled in the assembly on Monday, has pointed out numerous flaws in the functioning of the University of Kerala, including non-implementation of basic infrastructure projects and not carrying out periodic revision of syllabus.
The CAG report pointed out that the varsity did not have an approved master plan against which progress was monitored regularly. This led to deficiencies in timely implementation of infrastructure projects, software and revision of syllabus. The report said the university had not carried out revision of syllabus of 28 of the 142 courses for the last three years. “The delay in revision of syllabus of five courses ranged between eight and 13 years and in respect of 23 other courses between one and five years,” it said.
Contrary to the UGC regulation of limiting the appointment of teachers on contract basis to a maximum of 10 per cent, more than 23 per cent of the total faculty strength in the university departments were appointed on contract basis, the CAG found. It pointed out that none of the 17 university Institutes of Technology, due for NAAC accreditation, had started the process. This led to lack of assurance in the quality of education imparted in these centres. Of the 174 teachers in 34 UITs, 108 teachers were appointed without NET/SET/PhD qualification in violation of norms prescribed by UGC, it said.
Failure of the university to take up the infrastructure development works resulted in receipt of only Rs 8.70 crore against the UGC allocation of Rs 15.76 crore as general development assistance during the XIIth Five Year Plan period (2012-17), the CAG report said. Five major infrastructure works involving Rs 9.70 crore initiated during 2011-17 remained incomplete. Against an expenditure of Rs 14.14 crore for payment of pay revision arrears, only Rs 4.57 crore was received from the state government.
The balance amount of Rs 9.57 crore was utilised from the non-plan fund of the university. The varsity failed to collect rent arrears of Rs 19.09 crore (excluding GST) from December 2014 towards land leased in 2010 for construction of 35th National Games Stadium. The university has also not collected Rs 11.63 crore as annual administration fee from self-financing and unaided colleges.The CAG report pointed out that Kerala University Colleges of Teacher Education (KUCTE) and the University College of Engineering operated by the university in self-financing mode were running on losses from 2016-20.
MAJOR DRAWBACKS