No other LDF minister seems to have infuriated the Opposition more than higher education minister K T Jaleel.
It was against Jaleel the UDF had hurled the most number of corruption charges during Pinarayi Vijayan's term. From the alleged scam in the purchase of land for Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University to a series of nepotism and marks scandals, the Opposition has never given the minister respite.
But on Monday, at the fag end of the Assembly proceedings, the Opposition's favourite whipping boy sought to turn the tables. It was a day when he was called the “curse of higher education” by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.
Though the Opposition had staged a walk out early in the day on the issue of excess moderation given to BBA and BCA students in Kerala University, the UDF members mostly used the MG University post-moderation (moderation given after the results are published) scandal to taunt and flay the minster during the discussion on University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
When it was his turn to reply, Jaleel put forward a proposal. “If you feel that post-moderation is such a crime, the government is willing to put an end to the practice. You only have to give us your support,” the higher education minister said.
Perhaps not to make it seem like a smart political bait, he also made the proposal sound like an earnest appeal. “I personally am against such a practice. Being a teacher myself, I would be the last person to recommend such a benefit for students,” Jaleel said.
The ball was in the Opposition's court. But Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala ignored it. He sidestepped the question. He said the Opposition was against the blatantly unlawful manner in which post-moderation was awarded. “The decision to grant the marks was taken when the question was pending with the academic council of the University,” Chennithala said.
The minister returned the compliment. He said post-moderation was given to 1100-odd engineering students during the UDF tenure in 2012. Chennithala argued it was done after getting the go ahead from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). “No such approvals were sought or received in the the MG University case,” Chennithala said.
Jaleel trashed this argument by producing a copy of the University order in 2012. “Nowhere is it said in the order that the post-moderation was granted at the behest of the AICTE,” Jaleel said.
Congress MLA V D Satheesan said the UDF had never taken the stand that the University order had mentioned the AICTE's appeal. “But we have documents to show that the AICTE had asked the University to grant 20 marks as post-moderation to former CUSAT engineering students,” Satheesan said.
When the UDF members kept insisting that he had violated rules, Jaleel resorted to rhetoric. “The Opposition leader has taken the issue to the governor. Now if the governor finds that I or my office was involved in any of the decisions, I will obey whatever you say,” the minister said.
The minister had earlier disowned responsibility for the five-mark moderation given to former engineering students of the MG University. “It was the decision of the Syndicate and neither me nor my office was involved,” he had said.
Nonetheless, he accepted his role in granting one mark to a student of the Technical University saying it was the moral hing to do.
Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan then produced a letter writtern by a Syndicate member to the Calicut University Vice Chancellor. “The member had sought the registration and false numbers of 34 students and the Vice Chancellor eventually gave him the highly protected identities of 58 students,” he said. “How can you allow such a thing to happen,” he asked.
Pat came Jaleel's quip. “You yourself had said a minister had no power over the functioning of universities. If that is the case how can you expect me to know about this.” One of the major contentions of the opposition was that the minister was merely the pro chancellor, an ornamental post with no powers whatsoever to meddle in the affairs of autonomous institutions.
After reminding the Opposition of their own argument, he added with a cheeky smile: “But I can enquire into the issue if you permit me to intervene in the affairs of the University.”
