After PM SHRI row, Kerala faces stiff opposition over NEP-based skill courses

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: After the PM SHRI controversy in the state, universities are now pushing back against the Kerala State Higher Education Council’s move to adopt parts of the National Education Policy, particularly its proposal to increase credit allocation for skill-based courses.

Under the current four-year undergraduate structure, skill-based courses carry between 20 and 36 per cent of the total credits. The NEP recommends increasing this to up to 50 per cent, and the Council included this provision in the draft guidelines for skill courses. At the meeting convened to discuss the draft, representatives from Kerala, Calicut, and Kannur universities questioned the inclusion of the UGC regulation, introduced as part of the NEP, without any modifications.

The government maintains that the four-year degree introduced in Kerala is an alternative to the NEP. While skill-based courses are given importance, the state has fixed the maximum allocation at 20 per cent of the total 138 credits in a regular degree and up to 36 per cent in an honours programme with 177 credits. The universities argue that raising the limit to 50 per cent would disrupt the existing system.

The annual exit system recommended by the NEP was excluded in Kerala to ensure continuous academic learning. Credit for skill courses was also reduced to prevent an increase in teacher workload. These decisions were taken in line with the demands of organisations such as AKGCT and AKPCTA.

Critics argue that:

• Degree programmes are increasingly being anchored in purely skill-oriented courses.

• Foundational knowledge and critical thinking are losing their central place.

• Colleges risk being reduced to mere skill-training centres rather than academic institutions.

• The shift will result in a reduction in teaching positions