Foreign varsity plan stirs unease in CPI(M)
: The announcement by Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal in the 2024-25 FY budget on February 5 about exploring opportunities to set up foreign university campuses in the state has stirred up a hornet’s nest within the ruling CPI(M) and its feeder organisations.
In his budget speech, the finance minister had said, “Opportunities for establishing foreign university campuses will be examined in accordance with the new UGC guidelines without compromising on the principles of transparency and equality.”
“Components such as single window clearance for all required recognitions, relaxations in stamp duty/transfer duty/ registration charges, subsidised rates for water and electricity, tax relaxation and investment subsidy on capital will be part of this investment policy,” he added.
The proposal comes at a time when there has been a heavy flow of students from Kerala to foreign countries for undergraduate and postgraduate education. The number of such students soared to 1.32 million in 2022.
The idea to invite foreign varsities into the state expressed in the LDF government’s budget runs contrary to the position taken by the CPI(M) politburo on January 7, 2023 as part of which it demanded rescinding the draft UGC guidelines on the same issue. The move of the UGC, the party had said then, ‘will lead to creating enclaves of high fees, elitist institutions which will further distort the structure of higher education in the country.’
“Access to higher education is under a grave threat for students who are at the receiving end of economic and social inequalities. The proposed move is not going to enable the country to address the current challenges that face higher education,” the CPM politburo had said.
Moreover, the political resolution adopted by CPI(M) at the end of 22nd Congress in 2022 in Kerala had also advocated “regulating private educational institutions” in line with the party’s longstanding policy of restricting private investment especially in the higher education sector.
On Wednesday, the first voice of dissent against the budget proposal came from the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M). SFI state president K Anusree said the outfit has a lot of concerns about the entry of private and foreign varsities.
“We certainly have a lot of concerns. (Entry of foreign varsities) cannot be accepted. We will hold discussions with the government to resolve the issue,” said the SFI leader. The stance of the SFI will particularly be under spotlight as a few members of the outfit had infamously roughed up a former diplomat TP Sreenivasan at an education summit in 2016 on the charge of selling the education sector in the state to foreign private players. Meanwhile, higher education minister R Bindu struck a balanced position on the issue.
“No decision has been reached so far. The budget only talks about exploring possibilities (about bringing in foreig varsities). But in today’s global scenario, such possibilities must be examined. The Centre has already allowed to set up such campuses in the country. Education remains in the concurrent list. The finance minister has indicated about using such opportunities with care and alertness,” she said.
When questioned about the deviation from the stated policy of the Left, the minister shot back at reporters, “Since when did you start worrying about the policies of the Left? I don’t have the responsibility to explain these matters to you.”
She also did not reject speculation about the higher education department not being consulted by finance ministry before the budget announcement.
At the same time, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan sought to defend the budget proposal. “Capital investment in the education sector began a long time. The new suggestions are part of building a knowledge economy in the state using a more targeted approach. We will go ahead by initiating healthy discussions with the public of Kerala on these issues,” he said.