Putting the cart before the horse.

Bringing back of the defunct Honours programme by the Directorate of Collegiate Education of Kerala in five select colleges during the current academic year, 2013-14 is a fine example of putting the cart before the horse. The reason for abandoning the erstwhile Honours degree programme is still relevant, then what impelled the Directorate of Collegiate Education to reintroduce the same is unknown. And with the recent introduction of credit and semester system, the degree education in Kerala lost its charm. The students prefer B Tech and MBBS courses to degree courses and any further alteration in it will distract students away from degree education.

Interestingly, according to DCE, the qualification for applying for the Honours course will be a pass in the higher secondary or equivalent course with 70 percent marks in the general category.  Since higher secondary courses in Kerala entertain no marks but only grades for its examination where from the DCE get the qualifying marks for admission. Moreover, the appointment of  a co-ordinator for each subject of the course at UGC rate of Rs 40,000 is a bad practice and is intended to siphon out the government money.

The execution of degree education in Kerala is topsy-turvy. Likewise is the functioning of DCE office and regional DD offices. Instead of streamlining the existing system any move to introduce once abandoned course  would bring more embarrassment to degree education segment.

K A Solaman 
The CDeccan(Kerala) Chronicle published on 10-7-13