CU to meet UGC to ensure validity of courses offered in Lakshadweep

Kozhikode: A delegation from the University of Calicut (CU) along with its officials from Lakshadweep will hold talks with the University Grants Commission (UGC) to ensure that the validity of certificates issued by the varsity to the students studying at three CU centres in the Union territory is not affected by the UGC rules regarding territorial jurisdiction of varsities.
The decision was taken at a meeting held by CU officials with its Lakshwadeep administration and MP Mohammad Faizal PP over the last two days.
Varsity registrar C L Joshy, who was also part of the delegation that held the meeting in Lakshwadeep said CU has been the main higher education provider of Lakshadweep for the last four decades and the islands have been the operational area of the varsity for all practical purposes. However, the varsity has not been formally included in the Lakshadweep islands under its geographical jurisdiction.
As per UGC policy, a university established or incorporated by or under a State Act shall operate only within the territorial jurisdiction allotted to it under its act and in no case beyond the territory of the state of its location. The Lakshadweep administration had recently written to the varsity about the UGC approval of the courses being conducted at the Calicut University centres in Lakshadweep over possible jurisdictional issues.
“We decided that a delegation from the varsity along with the MP of Lakshadweep would meet the UGC next month to apprise them that the varsity has been operating in the Union territory for the last four decades as its main higher education provider. Though there is no reason for concern at the moment, we want to make sure that the jurisdictional issues don’t pose any threat and want to establish that the islands have been part of the operational area of the varsity,” he added.
The Lakshwadeep officials also raised concern about low pass percentage in PG courses offered by the varsity centres but for MSc Aqua Culture. Varsity officials said they would rethink on whether to continue post graduate courses like MSc Mathematics, MA Arabic and MCom which have been witnessing low pass percentage. “We are planning to do a rethink on whether to continue the courses with low pass percentage from next year,” Joshy added. Also, the varsity authorities told the Lakshadweep officials that they would consider introducing integrated four-year B Ed courses.
The varsity delegation also comprised syndicate members K K Haneefa and Tom K Thomas.
Calicut university has been running three centres in Lakshadweep, located at the islands of Andrott, Kadamat and College of Education situated at Kavaratti where around 1,000 students are studying.