Aimed at tapping the emerging employment opportunities in the areas of sports and games, the Kerala government will soon launch new-generation academic programmes in the sector, Higher Education Minister R. Bindu has said.
Inaugurating a ceremony to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the ₹57-crore Susan Mable Indoor Stadium and Sports Complex project at Mahatma Gandhi University here on Tuesday, the Minister said development of new-generation courses such as sports management, sports medicine, and sports engineering would also give a boost to the State’s sports sector, besides creating more employment opportunities. Detailed discussions were being held in this regard.
The State government had also decided to give merit-proportioned credit to sports talents in the new four-year undergraduate courses. “The government is committed to ensuring necessary infrastructure for students who show talent in sports. As suggested by the new curriculum framework, the possibility of offering physical education as a subject at the college level is being explored,” said the Minister.
Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan presided over the function. Sports Minister A. Abdurahiman spoke.
KIIFB funds
MG University Registrar B. Prakash Kumar and State Sports Youth Affairs Director Rajeev Kumar Chaudhary signed the MoU. The stadium and sports complex would be constructed at the existing ground using Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) funds.
Later in the day, the Higher Education Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed architecture block and men’s hostel at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Pampady. The architecture block has been constructed at ₹13.83 crore and has a total built up area of 5,801 sq m over three floors. The men’s hostel, constructed at ₹6.6 crore, has 74 rooms and facilities to accommodate 225 students on four floors.
