Kozhikdoe: Days after the suicide of a college student Jishnu sparked massive outrage among the student community in Kerala, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticized private college managements on Tuesday.
Speaking at an event held in Devagiri College in Kozhikode, the CM said that education has turned into a business for many.
Condemning Jishnu’s death that has unraveled a number of ill practices of private colleges across the state, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Ever since private self-financing colleges began to come up, an impression has been made that the education sector is a business that has the potential to reap profits. Unlike earlier, this tendency has now begun to influence many institutions run by Christian managements as well. There are hardly a few managements who are distinct.”
The Chief Minister cautioned that money should not be a criteria for college administrations to allot seats to students. Pointing out that not many students were willing to complain against the managements, Pinarayi assured that misappropriation from the part of private college managements will be addressed and that he will recommend a vigilance probe into allegations raised by several students.
His statement criticizing Christian institutions seem to have irked the Church. Reacting to the CM’s statement, Syro-Malabar Church Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry said that the role of Christian sabhas and private managements in the education sector in Kerala and the country, cannot be ignored.
He added that laws are already in place to penalize private managements in case of misappropriation, reported The News Minute.
The suicide of 18-year-old Jishnu Pranoy, a student of Nehru College of Engineering and Research in Thrissur recently, paved way for agitation among the student community. Jishnu killed himself allegedly over harassment at the hands of the college management, after he was allegedly caught cheating in examination.
His death led to many students of the college raising allegations of physical and mental harassment at the hands of the management. Subsequently, students from a number of private colleges opened up against the harassment they reportedly face.