THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: LoP in the Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday alleged that the state government's move to allow autonomous aided and self-financing colleges to increase seats without prior approval would lead to the commercialisation of education.

Demanding the immediate withdrawal of the government circular permitting the move, Vijayan said the decision had been taken under pressure from the managements of private colleges.

The CPI(M) veteran said a September 11 circular issued by the Higher Education Department had made prior government approval mandatory for introducing new courses and increasing seats in government, aided and autonomous colleges.

He contended that the government had now relaxed the norms, despite the existing provision ensuring strict scrutiny and regulation at the government level, by "succumbing to the misguided pressures of the managements".

Demanding the immediate withdrawal of the government circular permitting the move, Vijayan said the decision had been taken under pressure from the managements of private colleges.

The CPI(M) veteran said a September 11 circular issued by the Higher Education Department had made prior government approval mandatory for introducing new courses and increasing seats in government, aided and autonomous colleges.

He contended that the government had now relaxed the norms, despite the existing provision ensuring strict scrutiny and regulation at the government level, by "succumbing to the misguided pressures of the managements".

He claimed that such measures would effectively dismantle government regulation and undermine the educational rights of ordinary people, particularly the poor.

Vijayan demanded that the government order a comprehensive legal inquiry into the alleged dilution of the September 11 circular's provisions under pressure from private college managements.