Kerala will not allow communalisation of education, no compromise on university autonomy: Roji M. John

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Higher Education Minister Roji M. John interacts with National Cadet Corps cadets at Government College for Women in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M. John has reiterated that the State government will not permit communalisation of education under any circumstances.

“The United Democratic Front (UDF)’s position is clear and consistent, whether in the Opposition or in power. Any attempt to communalise the sector, irrespective of who is behind it, will be firmly resisted,” he told media persons in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday (July 1, 2026).

He added that the government would not allow attempts by any political group to “capture” universities or influence their administration by appointing party loyalists. Uncompromising efforts would be made to safeguard the autonomy and integrity of universities, he said.

Earlier, while inaugurating a State-level programme organised at Government College for Women, Vazhuthacaud, to mark the commencement of the new academic year for undergraduate courses, the Minister said the Higher Education department will undertake a comprehensive review of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP). Necessary reforms will also be introduced to address the practical difficulties experienced by students and colleges. The experience gained since the roll-out of the FYUGP had highlighted several implementation issues that required corrective intervention, he said.

At the same time, he said, the FYUGP represented a shift from conventional classroom learning to a more flexible and multidisciplinary model suited to a rapidly changing world shaped by artificial intelligence, data science and biotechnology. The programme enabled students to pursue subjects across disciplines according to their interests.

The Minister added that the government’s objective was to create the kind of academic environment, courses and curricula that students sought within the State itself, thereby reducing the need for them to pursue high