We will finetune FYUGP, not scrap it: Kerala Higher Educational Council chairperson Achuthsankar S Nair

Kochi: Achuthsankar S Nair, the newly appointed vice-chairperson of Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), said that the advisory body would focus on refining, rather than dismantling, the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) introduced by the previous LDF govt.“We won’t be scrapping FYUGP. It is not a political game where a new govt overturns what was done earlier. Our focus is to make readjustments and improve it,” Nair told TOI during an interview.He said the council launched a statewide stakeholder consultation initiative — KSHEC Listens — to address the concerns raised by teachers and students. He added that efforts would be made to make university research theses accessible to the public by publishing its brief, easy-to-read version in Malayalam.Using KSHEC Listens, Nair will hold online interactions with teachers across the state and hold in-person meeting with representatives of a group of colleges and collect their feedback. He said he would also invite five teachers and students daily to meet him personally and listen to them.Nair said one of the immediate priorities was to find clarity on FYUGP’s final year. Nair pointed out that once the first batch enters the fourth year, nearly 20% more students will remain on campuses, requiring additional infrastructure and planning.

The council will also alleviate the now-existing confusion among students about the fourth year of study.He recalled that when he was the quality assurance director at Kerala University, a study was organised under his leadership where students were asked to choose from 40 courses they would pursue if offered free of cost. “Surprisingly, dance emerged as the most preferred choice, revealing an interest the education system had not previously recognised,” he said.Nair said the declining enrolment in colleges was a multifaceted issue that required a realistic and flexible approach rather than mere infrastructure development. “We must ask whether our campuses are places of celebration. Do students have spaces to read, perform or simply enjoy being on campus? We build buildings, but are there selfie spots? Do libraries attract students?” asked Nair.Nair said the council accepts structural reforms on National Education Policy (NEP) while remaining cautious about ideological content.“There are structural and political reforms in every policy. It’s there in NEP as well. For instance, the sections regarding Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) are considered political. We have had Knowledge Systems of Kerala (KSK), which I think was an ideal response that we could teach within the larger framework but ensure that divisive and communal elements are not included. If such measures are enforced, a political confrontation becomes unavoidable.

But the structural reforms of the NEP in general are acceptable.IKS aims to generate interest in India’s knowledge traditions while KSK is a textbook launched by KSHEC for FYUGP.Nair also questioned institutional rankings. “If rankings were the best measure, why are so many students going abroad? We must look beyond accreditation and ask whether students are truly happy on our campuses,” he said.On research, Nair announced plans to make PhD work more accessible to the public by publishing summaries of doctoral theses from universities acrossKerala in an open-access, reader-friendly format. “Research should not remain locked away. It should be available for everyone, including future generations,” he said.