Kerala University has appealed to the State government to review its decision to place the burden of disbursing pensions upon universities.
The Syndicate of the university, which met a few days ago, decided to deploy a delegation led by Syndicate Standing Committee on Finance Convener K.H. Babujan to take up the issue with the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister, and also formally submit a memorandum.
According to official sources, the university will impress upon the government the various complexities associated with implementing the move. Kerala University has on its rolls over 3,000 pensioners, the highest among State Universities, and would require roughly ₹140 crore a year to foot the pension bill. The university generated an annual revenue of ₹53 crore through various sources.
Under the circumstances, the university will be left with no option but to hike considerably tuition and examination fees collected from students and affiliation fee levied annually from colleges, among other charges, if the government decided to persist with its order.
Jointly protesting against the move, the Kerala University Staff Union and Kerala University Teachers’ Organisation accused the government of leaving State Universities in the lurch to cater to the interests of private players in the higher education sector. They also blamed the government for pushing the sector into a crisis, even while making investments in the health and general education avenues.
The Federation of University Teachers Association, Kerala (FUTA), has also deplored the government decision to withdraw from shouldering the pension burden. Blaming “bureaucratic tactics” for the move, FUTA president A.K. Ampotti and general secretary P. Paslithil cautioned against implementing the order that could push universities into severe crises and trigger demonstrations across the State.
