The academic and administrative logjam in Ernakulam Maharaja’s College over the autonomy issue seems easing after the cordial talks held between the senior officials of the Higher Education Department and representatives of the teacher and student organisations at Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
Teachers representing the All Kerala Government College Teachers Association, which is spearheading the agitation against the autonomy for Maharaja’s, told K.M. Abraham, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, that they would hold discussions with the State leadership of the organisation and get back with a representation highlighting their concerns about the autonomous status accorded to the institution by Thursday.
The government representatives are likely to meet the State leaders of AKGCTA either on Saturday or Monday at Thiruvananthapuram aimed at resolving the days of impasse in Maharaja’s over the autonomy issue. Senior officials told The Hindu that the Higher Education Department has taken a positive view of the suggestions and concerns aired by the teachers. The agitating teachers raised concerns like whether autonomy will result in proliferation of self-financing courses and the lack of adequate representation of faculty members in the governing and academic councils of the college. They were also concerned whether the new status will result in fee hike and erode the transparency in the conduct of examinations.
The Higher Education Department officials made it clear that all concerns could be resolved within the ambit of the rules and regulations related to autonomy. They also agreed to address the concerns regarding the grievance redressal system for teachers and students. Ernakulam District Collector M. G. Rajamanickam also participated in the talks held at Thiruvananthapuram. Classes have been suspended at Maharaja’s till Friday owing to the ongoing agitation. A decision on resuming the academic sessions will be taken based on the outcome of the second round of talks between the agitators and the government.