Keralam to expand higher education facilities, programmes: Minister

Higher Education Minister Roji M. John presenting a degree certificate to a graduate at the first convocation of Amal College of Advanced Studies (Autonomous) at Nilambur on September 3. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN The State government will improve higher education facilities and introduce new academic programmes to encourage students to pursue higher studies in Keralam, Higher Education Minister Roji M. John has said.He was speaking at the first convocation of Amal College of Advanced Studies (Autonomous) at Nilambur on Thursday (September 3). The Minister said students could not be stopped from leaving the State for higher education as it was their personal choice. However, the government has a responsibility to provide the facilities and opportunities they seek within Keralam, he said.Mr. John said education should go beyond awarding degrees. Institutions should help students develop their skills and interests and provide the training they need.With permanent jobs not guaranteed for everyone, students should aim to become job creators rather than job-seekers, he said. Keralam offers several opportunities for entrepreneurship, he added.India’s start-up sector has strong growth potential, with start-ups emerging even from tier-II and tier-III cities. “Students should make use of these opportunities to become entrepreneurs and create jobs for others,” he said.The Minister said there was a gap between the skills of graduates and those required by industry, and the government was taking steps to bridge that gap. The government will also create a supportive environment for educational institutions, including self-financing colleges, to introduce new courses and programmes based on changing needs.He said Keralam’s progress in higher education was not the result of the efforts of successive governments alone, but of the combined work of private and government institutions and different managements.P.V. Abdul Wahab, MP, presided over the function. MLAs Aryadan Shoukath and T.P. Ashraf Ali and Kerala State Higher Education Council member secretary Abida Farooqui were the guests.College manager P.V. Ali Mubarak, general secretary P.M. Usman Ali, Principal K.P. Mohammed Basheer, chief executive officer V.K. Abdul Khader, Yasmin Abdul Wahab, and K.P. Jeneesh Babu spoke.As many as 313 students were presented certificates at the function. Published - September 03, 2026 09:14 pm IST