New Delhi: Kerela Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said Kerala University’s achievement of A++ grading by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) will add impetus to the State’s dream of becoming a hub of higher education. While inaugurating a felicitation ceremony to honor the university for securing the highest NAAC grade on Friday, Mr. Vijayan said the lessons learned during the accreditation process would be utilized to prepare a roadmap to elevate higher education institutions to global standards.

While acknowledging its efforts, he exhorted the university not to rest on its laurels and adopt a laid-back approach. The achievement must instill confidence to scale new heights, he said.

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The Chief Minister said Kerala University had ushered in a wave of reforms since 2016 when the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had come to power. A student life cycle management system that encompassed every activity from admissions to the issuance of degree certificates had gone a long way in enhancing productivity and service delivery.

The university also witnessed infrastructure development of 310 lakh sqft. during the period. Theatre classrooms were also established in each of the 43 study departments to boost research. The university also generated revenue of ₹5.66 crores through consultancy works.

He also credited the university for going beyond its prime responsibility of providing education to touch several lives through research and extension activities. The village and school adoption programs of the university were model initiatives that could be emulated by each higher education institution, he said.

Higher Education Minister R. Bindu, who presided over the function, said the university found itself bracketed in the same category as premier institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru through its achievement. The NAAC peer team that assessed facilities found Kerala University to have all facilities that were ideally required for a public university, she added.

She also viewed the recognition as ‘sweet revenge’ for Vice Chancellor V.P. Mahadevan Pillai who had faced ridicule amidst the controversy over Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s proposal to confer an honorary D.Litt degree on President Ram Nath Kovind.

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Prof. Pillai, however, attributed the success to teamwork while exhorting the academic community to persevere for excellence despite the criticisms raised by naysayers.

Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal, Transport Minister Antony Raju, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil, Kerala University Pro-Vice Chancellor P.P. Ajayakumar, Kerala State Higher Education Council vice chairman Rajan Gurukkal, member secretary Rajan Varughese, and Higher Education principal secretary Ishita Roy, also participated in the function.