Kannur University to amend 63-year-old rule to grant MA admission to SFI leader

Kannur: Kannur University revises admission rules to include BCom Students in MA English program. The SAVE University Campaign Committee has raised concerns over a recent special meeting convened by English faculties, led by University Vice Chancellor Dr. Gopinath Ravindran, at Kannur University. Allegations have been made that a new provision allowing BCom students to pursue MA in English, which is not permitted in any other university in the state, is being hastily implemented. These allegations suggest that the rule change is primarily intended to grant admission under the sports quota to an SFI leader who has successfully cleared the BCom examination.

Kannur University, in a move that deviates from the longstanding state university norms established in 1960, is currently making amendments to its own admission rules. The Save University Campaign Committee has alleged that the catalyst for these modifications was a special application submitted by Immanuvan, an SFI leader from Kasaragod Government College, seeking admission to the MA English program. Subsequently, the university administration, under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, accelerated the process of changing the rules.

To accommodate this request, discussions were held within a special online curriculum committee of English faculties, called together by the Vice Chancellor. The outcome of these discussions is the inclusion of BCom students, who have studied English for only one year, in the MA English program. This decision represents a notable deviation from the previous prerequisites and admission criteria established for the program.

Simultaneously, the Save University Campaign Committee has taken a stand against this particular university in the state, urging them to cease making such unlawful decisions under political pressure that compromise the quality of postgraduate courses. The SUCC has formally submitted a petition to both the Minister of Higher Education and the Vice-Chairman of the Higher Education Council, seeking their intervention in this matter.

Principal M. Rema was transferred by the government following her statement about SFI activists engaging in drug use on the campus of Kasaragod Government College. In a press release, the Save University Campaign Committee has made allegations that Emmanuvan, an SFI leader, was the instigator behind these incidents.