Thiruvananthapuram: CPM central leadership is likely to intervene in the Kerala government’s decision to facilitate the setting up of campuses of foreign universities in the state. The announcement in the Kerala Budget 2024 is apparently in contradiction with the policies of the party. The leadership of the left party at the national level believes that the move will demean the overall structure of higher education in the county and its current running mechanism. In January last year, the politburo issued a statement criticising the UGC's move to open doors for ‘foreign universities’ in the country.

Under the circumstances, the push for establishing campuses of foreign universities in Kerala in the latest state budget has raised eyebrows. Reportedly, there were no discussions held regarding this with the higher education department. The CPM leadership has also received complaints regarding the policy variation. Hence, corrective actions are likely to be taken by the party-state leadership in the coming days.

Nilotpal Basu, a CPM politburo member who takes care of the education affairs said that he will look into the matter in the coming days.

On January 7, 2023, the politburo opposed the UGC and opined that allowing foreign universities to set up their campuses in the country by giving a free hand in determining fees and decisions regarding appointments of faculties will deteriorate the higher education setup in the nation. 

Meanwhile, the latest Kerala budget vouched for setting up such campuses through a single window clearance, by providing concessions on stamp duty/transfer duty/registration charges and also by giving grants on electricity and water charges.

Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu also criticized the UGC's move to set up foreign campuses in an interview given to Mathrubhumi earlier this month. Back then she had said that the move would commercialise the education sector in the country. She had also expressed doubt on whether quality universities would be interested in setting up their campuses in the country. Similarly, the CPM student organization SFI had opposed UGC's move.