The Kerala government has turned down the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) draft Learning Outcomes-Based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) for undergraduate programmes, citing serious concerns over academic quality and institutional autonomy.
State Higher Education and Social Justice Minister R Bindu announced the decision after an expert committee appointed by the government reviewed the proposed curriculum. In a formal communication to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and UGC Acting Chairperson Vineet Joshi, the state conveyed its strong disapproval of the framework.
According to the minister, the draft undermines the independence of universities by prescribing detailed syllabi, course structures, and reading lists, something Kerala believes falls outside the UGC’s constitutional role.
The rejection follows growing resistance from academics, student organisations, and researchers across the country. More than 900 scholars, including Padma awardees and Bhatnagar Prize recipients, have already signed petitions highlighting what they call “serious flaws” in subjects ranging from mathematics and sciences to economics and engineering.
CONCERNS OVER MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM
Subject experts were particularly critical of the mathematics draft, pointing out major omissions in areas such as real analysis, algebra, and applied mathematics. At the same time, the framework continues to retain outdated components like analytical geometry and mechanics.
Courses like Mathematics in Music were flagged for being misleading, as they were designed around only Class 10-level knowledge despite requiring advanced concepts such as Fourier analysis and Markov chains. Similarly, the Mathematics for Machine Learning module devotes limited time to actual machine learning, instead covering mostly basic topics like sets and vector spaces.
The expert committee also observed ideological influences in the draft. References to VD Savarkar in political science courses and the framing of corporate governance through the lens of “Ram Rajya” were cited as attempts to insert a particular political narrative into academic study.
With these concerns in mind, the Kerala government has urged the UGC to withdraw the draft and initiate a thorough revision to ensure academic rigour, neutrality, and respect for university autonomy.
