The Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (KPCTA), affiliated with the Congress party, has raised serious concerns over recent decisions by Calicut University and Kannur University to share sensitive student data, including Aadhaar details, with the Maharashtra-based private company Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL). KPCTA contends that this data-sharing arrangement, planned under the Kerala Resources for Education Administration and Planning (K-REAP) initiative, compromises student privacy. The initiative, aimed at building a unified digital system for education administration, has sparked a row.

Concerns over data privacy

KPCTA’s Kozhikode faction asserts that sharing Aadhaar numbers and other personal information with an external, unverified corporation could pose privacy risks. Furthermore, KPCTA claims that Calicut University students may incur additional charges under this new arrangement, which has only deepened opposition among stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Senate members, including Dr V. M. Chacko, Dr P. Sulfi, Dr E. Sreelatha, G. Sunil Kumar, Dr R. Jayakumar, and Dr Manoj Mathews, have formally requested the Vice-Chancellor to reconsider this data-sharing strategy, emphasising the need to protect student interests and maintain transparency.

KPCTA’s demand for disclosure

At Kannur University, KPCTA’s local faction has demanded public disclosure of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the university and MKCL, facilitated through the government undertaking Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP). KPCTA highlights that Kannur University is the first in Kerala to implement this model, a system reportedly limited to select universities in Maharashtra. The KPCTA meeting concluded with a collective appeal for a formal investigation into Kannur University’s involvement in K-REAP, urging clarity about the scope and specifics of the university’s partnership.

Responding to these concerns, Kannur University Vice-Chancellor K.K. Saju clarified that the K-REAP initiative was established following government directives, with universities across Kerala set to adopt it in stages. As the designated pilot institution, Kannur University is currently managing only student registration and data entry in the trial software phase.

Vice-Chancellor Saju further noted that although the university has an agreement with ASAP, which signed an MoU with MKCL, Kannur University itself does not have a direct contract with MKCL. Acknowledging the necessity of external agencies for such technological projects, he added that a minimal fee might be involved, as the university lacks resources to independently secure such software. He suggested that questions regarding the project’s implementation and agency selection should be addressed to the government, the primary authority overseeing the K-REAP initiative.