Vijayan has demanded withdrawal of the circular allowing colleges to increase the number of seats without the Kerala government’s nod

Former Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan. File. | Photo credit: PTI

Keralam Assembly LoP Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday (November 8, 2026) alleged that the state government’s move to allow autonomous aided and self-financing colleges to increase the number of seats without prior approval will lead to commercialization of education.

Demanding an immediate withdrawal of the government circular authorizing the move, Mr. Vijayan said the decision was taken under pressure from managements of private colleges.

The CPI(M) veteran said the September 11 circular issued by the higher education ministry made prior approval of the government mandatory for introducing new courses and increasing the number of seats in government, aided and autonomous colleges.

He alleged that the government has now relaxed the norms despite the existing provision ensuring strict control and regulation at the government level by “yielding to misguided management pressures”.

“The current provision that no Government No Objection Certificate (NOC) is required for starting unaided courses and increasing seats in autonomous aided and self-financing colleges is shocking,” the former CM said.

He said that allowing universities to increase seats at will, without assessing necessity and without regard to existing regulatory mechanisms, would pave the way for the commercialization of education.

“This ill-conceived collusion is happening despite assurances before the Supreme Court that self-financing courses will not be allowed in aided colleges on a large scale,” he alleged.

Mr. Vijayan questioned whose interests the government was protecting by granting such sweeping concessions immediately after representatives of college managements met the higher education minister.

He argued that doing away with annual inspections and allowing colleges to inform the government of increasing seats only after the admission process was over amounted to “a clear conspiracy to sell seats by accepting bribes by subverting the merit and reservation provisions”.

He argued that such measures would effectively remove government regulations and undermine the educational rights of ordinary people, especially the poor.

Mr. Vijayan demanded that the government order a comprehensive legal inquiry into the alleged weakening of the provisions of the 9/11 circular under pressure from private college managements.

Published – 8 Nov 2026 15:16 IST