Kesari College awaits final nod to start operations

Kochi: With less than a month to go for Mahatma Gandhi University's Centralized Admission Process (CAP), Kesari Memorial Government Arts and Science College is finalizing preparations to welcome its first batch of students in the upcoming academic year.

A team comprising MG University officials and elected representatives, including Paravur MLA VD Satheesan, visited the college on Friday to assess its readiness. The seven-member delegation was led by university syndicate member Suja TV

Although the Kerala govt took over the institution in 2021, delays in administrative sanctions have stalled its reopening, pushing the operational launch to the 2025–26 academic year. A critical hurdle remains: The issuance of a govt order (GO), which is pending as the university is yet to grant temporary affiliation to the college.

Established in 1977 under the Kesari Balakrishna Pillai Memorial Trust, the college offered pre-degree and undergraduate courses from 1978 but shut down in 1996 due to low student enrollment. It reopened in 2010 with MG University affiliation, but poor infrastructure led to a loss of affiliation in 2019.

In Feb, the Kerala govt sanctioned three undergraduate courses for the institution—BCom Finance and Taxation (Model 1), BSc Cyber Forensic Science, and BA Mass Communication and Journalism (Model 1). However, beyond the GO for functioning, another approval is required for creating five non-teaching staff positions necessary for the college's operation.

According to authorities, the higher education department has decided to allot 16 permanent teachers at the college, of which 10 teachers will be transferred from other colleges within the state in the initial year of its operations.

"The procedures have been completed; the university delegates are satisfied with the facilities, and a temporary affiliation is expected shortly. Once the temporary affiliation is received, the govt order will follow, paving the way for admissions through CAP," said Satheesan.

He added that university officials have assured him that syndicate approval for temporary affiliation will be granted by April 15. This timeline would enable the institution to admit students through the CAP process, beginning in May.