Thrissur(Kerala) | Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly V D Satheesan on Thursday outlined the UDF's plans for the higher education sector ahead of the assembly polls in the state.

These plans include giving more autonomy to universities, ensuring academic leadership there and introducing a new-generation curriculum to cater to the changes in the job market globally.

Detailing the various initiatives planned by the UDF, Satheesan said more autonomy will be ensured for universities and steps will be taken to make the syndicates more academic in nature, than politically oriented.

"Politicisation is allowed, but partisanship will not be allowed in universities," he said.

The changes planned at the university level will include, establishment of an independent 'Student Academic Election Commission' to make the conduct of student union polls fair, creating an opposition leadership position in campus unions like a model parliament and introducing student representation in university committees on a rotation basis from college union chairpersons, Satheesan said.

The other initiatives will include setting up a job watchtower of experts who will monitor the changes in the global employment sector and suggest changes to be made in the curriculum, accordingly, the LoP said at a Higher Education Conclave organised here by the UDF.

With regard to the National Education Policy, Satheesan said that the state's stand on it will be reviewed, but no compromise will be made with regard to secularism, scientific consciousness and communal harmony.

Besides these, Artificial Intelligence (AI) departments will be established in all Arts and Science colleges and a Centre for AI Research (CAIR-Kerala), of international standards, will also be set up, he said.

Additionally, Jawaharlal Nehru Scientific Temper Centers will be opened to promote scientific temper, Kerala Open Access Journal Platform will be created to raise research standards and a Chief Minister's Research Challenge will be organised to research topics related to the urgent needs of the state, Satheesan said.

He further said that the concept of 'Semester in India', which was tried and tested successfully during the Oommen Chandy government, will be restarted as 'Semester in Kerala' to increase student mobility.

"To attract foreign students to Kerala, 'Academic Tourism' will be implemented in collaboration with the Tourism Department and education fairs will be organised abroad -- to make the state a destination point," he added.

Satheesan said that it will be a data-driven governance in the academic sector and to gather the necessary information, various surveys would be carried out.

These would include an Annual Student Survey to find out dreams and interests of students, Graduate Employment Tracking Survey to find out where they are going after completing their studies, Student Wellness Survey and a Student Migration Survey, he said.