Kerela’s higher education department received an interim report by the three committees formed by the government to reform university exams outlining ideas to enhance higher education in the state. Members of the committees stated that the final report will be submitted by the end of April.
One of the reforms' main goals is to eliminate strict regulations and make the exam and post-exam processes more flexible and easy. The interim report's details have yet to be made public. The institutions argued that, while more simplified regulations would benefit, colleges in Kerela must modify their "attitude" toward academics.
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The immediate requirement, according to members of the exam reform panel, is to guarantee that major institutions in Kerala speed up their exam and degree-granting procedures.
“We are focussing on the issues that are prevailing in the universities. Especially major universities such as Calicut University and Mahatma Gandhi University which have large numbers of affiliated colleges. Due to this, there are some delays in completing the courses,” stated a member of the commission.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 prompted Kerala's action and urgency. Academics in Kerala feared that the NEP's proposal on graded autonomy for colleges, phasing out of university affiliations, and support for private institutions could create an existential dilemma for state universities.
Kerala's universities, according to experts, are hampered by stiff, archaic laws, obsolete curriculum, and a continuous gap between the academic and business world.
Examinations and post-examination processes at Kerala's four major universities which include Calicut University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala University, and Kannur University have been troubled by delays, with students forced to wait months for final-year results and even longer for provisional degree certificates.
“When the semester system was introduced, there were no reforms in the sector of examinations. That is why even after the completion of the semester, exams are always delayed. Also, the post-exam processes such as evaluation have huge delays,” said the commission member.
Further, the commission member added, “We are trying to make sure that results are declared within one month and revaluation is also done within a month of application. We are looking to take the aid of modern technology. We are trying to find out what progress has been made in technological advancements related to examinations, like entering marks from the examination centre itself and using advanced bar code readers”.
Kerala's chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, stated in January 2021 that the state's higher education sector will be "reformed." Vijayan emphasised the importance of attracting Kerala students back to the state's institutions, who largely prefer to pursue higher education outside the state.
The government established the three committees in September 2021 that include a seven-member higher education commission, a five-member commission to change university legislation, and a four-member commission to reform university exams.
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