Sun Nov 03 14:16:32 UTC 2024: ## University of Calicut Faces Backlash Over K-REAP Project Implementation

**Kozhikode, November 3, 2024:** The University of Calicut’s decision to entrust the implementation of the Kerala Resources for Education Administration and Planning (K-REAP) project to a Maharashtra-based private firm, Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd. (MKCL), has sparked controversy. A group of academics, primarily from the Opposition United Democratic Front, have raised serious concerns about the university’s choice.

These academics point to MKCL’s past involvement in data manipulation issues and controversies regarding mark lists, citing reports of eight Maharashtra universities, including Nagpur University, severing ties with the company due to its technical inefficiencies.

The university’s decision to collect fees from students and transfer them to MKCL without a publicly available memorandum of understanding has raised concerns about potential vested interests. Senate member P. Sulfi highlighted that this decision was based solely on directions from the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP), Kerala.

Syndicate member P. Rasheed Ahammed expressed concern in a letter to the Vice-Chancellor that handing over student information to MKCL would amount to data theft, particularly as students are required to upload sensitive details such as Aadhaar numbers, marks, and certificates onto the company’s website.

The Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (KPCTA) also opposes the proposal to collect fees from students, and has demanded the release of details of the memorandum of understanding signed between ASAP, Kerala, and MKCL.

The government, however, maintains that the K-REAP project, previously implemented at Kannur University, aims to provide unified technology solutions to enhance administrative and governance functions in universities across Kerala. The project aims to streamline admissions, examinations, and student lifecycle management, among other aspects, and contribute to the digital transformation of higher education.

Despite the government’s assurances, the growing criticism from academics and the KPCTA has cast a shadow over the K-REAP project implementation at the University of Calicut. Calls for transparency, accountability, and a review of the university’s decision to engage MKCL are intensifying.

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