Major move in Kerala budget: Tribal university to be set up in Wayanad

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala budget has announced plans to establish a world-class ‘Kerala Knowledge Valley’ on a war footing to curb the exodus of students moving to other states and abroad for higher education. The government will enact legislation to bring top universities from India and abroad to Kerala. The Knowledge Valley will serve as a global higher education hub featuring advanced courses, major research parks, and centres of excellence.

An advisory committee comprising experts with strong academic and scientific credentials will be appointed for this project. The government will forge industry-academia partnerships with leading institutions in India and abroad. The project aims to create a robust and self-reliant ecosystem to transform Kerala into the intellectual capital of Asia. An allocation of ₹100 crore has been made for this project. Additionally, ₹50 crore has been earmarked to establish a Tribal University and an Indigenous Knowledge Centre in Wayanad. The government is also considering amendments to the Private Universities Bill—previously passed by the Assembly—should it be returned by the President. The plan envisaged setting up over a dozen multidisciplinary private universities offering courses in medicine, engineering, law, pharmacy, paramedical studies, and other fields. Given the support of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Central Government for private universities, the revised bill is likely to secure approval. Green signal for foreign university campuses: The budget includes a favourable announcement regarding foreign university campuses in Kerala. Foreign universities may establish campuses in collaboration with existing medical and engineering colleges.
Foreign university campuses do not require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the state government to obtain UGC approval. Students will be able to pursue foreign curricula in Kerala at a lower cost. Meritorious students will benefit from fee concessions and scholarships.
Higher education abroad:
13.2 lakh students from India are currently pursuing education across 78 countries.
Approximately 4% of them are Malayalis.
Around 40,000 Malayali students go abroad for higher education annually. Indians spend approximately ₹2.48 lakh crore annually on education abroad. “There is a need to bring in world-class educational institutions. As the world moves towards a global education system, shutting things down and creating barriers will only lead to more students going abroad.”