Kerala University bills referred to panel

Thiruvananthapuram: The Assembly on Tuesday referred to the subjects committee a Bill empowering  the government to constitute a committee for a period of six months after the term of office of the senate and syndicate expired or till the reconstitution of the senate and syndicate whichever is earliest. The Assembly also referred to the subjects committee the Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University (Amendment) Bill 2018 and Kerala University (Amendment) Bill 2018.

As per the Bill, the  committee will comprise  ex- officio members of the senate and syndicate and nominated members which included a teacher of the university, a teacher of a government college affiliated to the university, one principal each from the government colleges and aided colleges affiliated to the university,   two teacher representatives from the aided colleges affiliated to the university,  one student from the university or from one government or  aided colleges affiliated to the university, and six eminent persons working in the education sector,  including one woman and one belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.

The senate was reconstituted on May 17, 2014. Accordingly, the term of the senate and syndicate of the Kerala University expired on May 16. As they could not be reconstituted within the period specified in the Kerala University Act 1974,  the government  decided to bring in an alternative arrangement temporarily to  perform the functions of the senate and syndicate  till their  reconstitution in  accordance with the provisions of the Act. An ordinance was brought to ensure this. The present Bill was mooted to replace the ordinance.