Thiruvananthapuram: The decision to include the autobiography of CPI(M) leader and Mattannur MLA KK Shailaja in the new postgraduate syllabus of Kannur University has ignited controversy, raising questions about academic choices and potential political influence. The autobiography titled ‘My Life as a Code’ has been introduced as a study text in the newly implemented MA English course offered by the university.
The move comes amidst a backdrop of legal complexities within the university’s administrative framework. The formation of the Board of Studies, responsible for curriculum decisions, had been challenged in court, leading to its dissolution. The court ruled that the Vice Chancellor, Gopinath Ravindran, had formed the Board of Studies without the necessary permission from the Governor. As a result, the university currently operates without a functional Board of Studies.
It was an ad hoc committee established under the Vice Chancellor’s authority that facilitated the inclusion of KK Shailaja’s autobiography alongside the works of prominent figures like Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, and Nelson Mandela.
The controversy further deepens due to the inclusion of KK Shailaja’s autobiography in the syllabus, considering her recent involvement in a high-profile controversy related to an alleged personal protective equipment kit (PPE) scam back in the COVID period.
The inclusion of the autobiography also follows a series of prior controversies within Kannur University. A case involving an amendment to regulations to grant admission to an SFI leader, who was originally a B.Com. student, for the MA English course in Kasaragod Government College had stirred previous debates about the university’s academic integrity.
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