Sat Jun 28 14:40:38 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:

**Kerala Celebrates Successful First Year of Four-Year Undergraduate Program with State-Wide “Vijnanotsavam”**

**Thrissur, June 28, 2025** – Kerala’s Minister for Higher Education, R. Bindu, announced a state-wide “Vijnanotsavam” to be held on July 1st, marking the successful completion of the first year of the four-year undergraduate program implemented across all government, aided, and self-financing colleges in the state.

Speaking at a press conference in Thrissur, Minister Bindu highlighted the positive response from the academic community and students to the program, which launched on July 1, 2024, across nearly 1,000 colleges and eight university campuses. The state-level inauguration of Vijnanotsavam will be held at the Government Arts and Science College, Kozhikode, and will be officiated by Minister Bindu.

“Students are much interested in the four-year programmes,” Minister Bindu stated, emphasizing the increased flexibility and multiple exit options offered by the new system, including the opportunity to exit after two-and-a-half years with a relevant qualification.

Minister Bindu also pointed to the implementation of a Unified Academic Calendar, addressing a long-standing demand from the student community by streamlining examinations and result declarations. Furthermore, the state is seeing increased inter-university mobility and growing interest from students in other states. The State’s academic standing is further reflected in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), where 42 colleges from the State figure among the top 200 institutions in the country.

The Minister concluded by noting the increasing international appeal of Kerala’s higher education system, citing that over 2,600 students from 81 countries took admission to Kerala University this year alone. The Vijnanotsavam celebrations aim to welcome the new batch of students and further solidify Kerala’s position as a leading hub for higher education in India.

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