The A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University Act, 2015 (Act No. 17 of 2015) establishes a university in Kerala to promote technical education, particularly in engineering, technology, and management. Enacted on May 5, 2014, the Act outlines the structure, powers, and functions of the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University, headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. The University is a body corporate with perpetual succession, capable of affiliating engineering colleges across Kerala, setting academic standards, and fostering research and innovation.
Bare Act : https://lawyerslibrary.in/books/grvf/
Key Provisions:
- Structure: The University comprises a Chancellor (Governor of Kerala), Pro-Chancellor (Minister of Education), Vice-Chancellor, Board of Governors, Executive Committee, Academic Committee, and Research Council.
- Objectives: To enhance academic standards, promote interdisciplinary research, design modern curricula, and support indigenous technology development.
- Powers: Includes affiliating colleges, conferring degrees, conducting examinations, establishing research centers, and regulating student admissions and discipline.
- Affiliation: Engineering colleges meeting prescribed criteria can be affiliated as regular, autonomous, or academically autonomous institutions.
- Finance: Maintains a Technological University Fund for grants, fees, and donations, with annual budgets and audits.
- Governance: The Board of Governors is the supreme authority, with the Executive Committee handling executive functions and the Academic Committee overseeing academic standards.
- Transitional Provisions: Facilitates the transfer of affiliations from other Kerala universities and dissolves the Centre for Engineering Research and Development, integrating its assets into the University.
The Act ensures government oversight, with provisions for audits and approvals, and emphasizes equitable access to education while maintaining high academic standards. A notable judicial ruling (Joel Sunny Varghese v. APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, 2022) struck down discriminatory election provisions, mandating direct election rights for all students to the University Union General Council.