Ezhuthachan Varsity to be set up at Vettam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The proposed Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan Malayalam University should be established on 100 acres at the Vettam village in Tirur Taluk, Chief Secretary K Jayakumar, who was appointed to study the proposal, has recommended.Desirably, the university should begin functioning on November 1 this year, Jayakumar said in the report submitted to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.  The university should not confine itself to Malayalam language and literature, but should open a comprehensive window on the cultural heritage of the state as well, says the report. In the beginning, the university should offer 12 postgraduate courses under nine schools and five faculties.The proposed schools will deal with Malayalam language studies, literature, comparative literature, translation, performing arts, visual arts and architecture, cultural studies, media studies and traditional knowledge systems.Masters degrees will be offered in Malayalam linguistics, Malayalam poetry, Malayalam novel, Malayalam drama, performing arts, Kerala music, Kerala visual arts, cultural anthropology, social history, cultural studies, heritage studies and media studies. “360 students will be admitted to the first batch,” Jayakumar said.In phase-I, 30 research projects will be undertaken. The faculty strength will be 55. Jayakumar has also recommended a 30-member academic council for supervising academics and research, endowments, scholarships and writers in residence schemes. The rules and regulations for the proposed university should be in place by June or July. The Chief Secretary has also asked the government to earmark Rs 10 crore for the university in the current fiscal.