Infrastructure development, recruitment and a couple of innovative projects figure in the Sree Narayana Guru Open University (SNGOU) Budget for the financial year 2023-24. The Budget that envisages a revenue of ₹95.41 crore and an expenditure of ₹101.36 crore was presented by Syndicate member and finance standing committee convener Biju K. Mathew on Thursday.
The university has announced an ambitious project to make all persons who complete 60 years of age graduates and the goal is to declare Kerala the first State in the world to achieve the feat. All persons below the age of 60 who have completed Plus Two or pre-degree will be identified with the help of local bodies, the Kudumbashree Mission and the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority. They will be made graduates within five years and the SNGOU will start the works for the same this year.
Another major project announced for the financial year is making Kerala a State with complete digital literacy. The university has set aside ₹10.5 crore for preparing and implementing a comprehensive plan in collaboration with the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), the Kudumbashree Mission and the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority.
While ₹30 crore has been allocated for acquiring 10 acres of land in Kollam city for the construction of university headquarters, ₹1.2 crore has been earmarked for setting up a library in the academic block. The regional centres of the university at Thalassery Government Brennan College, Kozhikode Government Arts and Science College, SNGS College, Pattambi, and Tripunithura Government College will be developed by spending ₹3.24 crore.
Apart from the 14 study centres functioning in 14 districts, the SNGOU will be opening 24 more units this year. The Budget has earmarked ₹3.58 crore for a total of 38 study centres. For this, 75 teaching and non-teaching posts will be created and recruitments will be made with the approval of the government. An amount of ₹3 crores has been set aside in the Budget for this purpose.