Off-campus centre row hits MG varsity SF mode

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Kochi: Even as the stand-off between the MGU Vice- Chancellor and senior officials in the government continues,university circles are aghast at landing the off-campuses centres too in the row..
At a time when government funds are scarce for aiding courses in the higher education sector, the MG University has only pushed for the self-financing mode under the direct control of the university, by sanctioning more off-campus centres, to give more opportunities for study.
“Off-campus centres were started in 2001 and in 2002, the AKPCTA approached the High Court and Supreme Court against them but both courts backed the university. Off-campus centres were later sanctioned in 2002, 2003 and 2004. There is no existing order that the university should stop off-campus centres. The Syndicate is within its powers to sanction off-campus centres,” said an MGU Syndicate member.
So far, there have been 64 off-campus centres of the university - seven overseas, two outside Kerala and the rest in the state, having better facilities than IHRD colleges. “After scrutiny lasting a year, the university decided to pick 77 applications from a total of 136.
They were approved during the tenure of the last VC Rajan Gurukkal. When Dr K M Abraham, the current higher education secretary, was in charge as VC of the Kerala University, it sanctioned 80 learner’s support centres, which are the equivalent of off-campus centres, without the concurrence of the government,” he said. Only 60 off-campus centres have now been sanctioned following a UGC order.