The Keralam government has constituted a University Finance Commission to undertake a comprehensive study on the financial status of universities in the State and to suggest measures to ensure their long-term sustainability.
The Higher Education department issued the order appointing the commission based on a recommendation submitted by the vice-chairperson of the Kerala State Higher Education Council.
B.A. Prakash, former chairperson of the State Finance Commission and former Head of the Department of Economics, Kerala University, will chair the commission.
K.P. Mani, former Head of the Department of Economics, Kerala University, and former bureaucrat Baby Kurian, are the other members of the commission. Director of Collegiate Education Sameer Kishan will serve as the Member Secretary of the commission.
According to the order, the commission has been formed to propose guidelines to prevent financial crises arising from the “unplanned inception and operation of specialised universities with low student enrolment”. In light of the ongoing structural changes within the University Grants Commission (UGC), the commission will also evaluate the financial requirements of projects proposed by the government, including the Kerala Knowledge Valley and the Research Park.
The core responsibilities of the commission include identifying potential financial investments for universities, exploring funding possibilities under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, and recommending measures to curb the migration of students to other states or abroad by elevating the quality of the state’s higher education sector.
The commission has been mandated with submitting its comprehensive report to the government within six months.
Published – October 08, 2026 08:13 pm IST
