Kerala will set up 300 centres to promote scientific thinking among 15 lakh young people and launch a mobile application that will allow students to anonymously report ragging and other campus-related problems.
The two initiatives will be launched by Chief Minister V D Satheesan at Government Women's College in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. The programmes aim to promote scientific awareness and improve student safety and welfare in higher education institutions.
According to an official statement, the Chief Minister will inaugurate the first sub-centre of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Scientific Temper at 11.30 am. Higher Education Minister Roji M John will preside over the event, which will also be attended by Transport Minister C P John.
The science awareness programme, led by the Kerala State Higher Education Council, aims to encourage scientific thinking, humanism and a spirit of inquiry among students and the public, Higher Education Minister Roji M John said.
The initiative plans to reach 15 lakh young people through 300 centres across the state. It will also offer online courses on scientific temper, along with handbooks and short educational videos. An online course developed in association with the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) will also be launched during the programme.
The state government will also introduce the Siddharth Student Welfare App to give students a confidential platform to report ragging and other campus-related problems.
The application will allow students to submit complaints without disclosing their identity. It will also have a facility to record audio complaints anonymously and alert the concerned authorities about safety-related issues.
The app has been named after J S Sidharthan, a 20-year-old veterinary student from Nedumangad who allegedly died by suicide in February 2024 after facing ragging by fellow students at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad.
The Higher Education Minister also said that the government is considering a draft of the Siddharth Anti-Ragging Act. The proposed legislation aims to provide a legal framework for addressing ragging and support the formation of a state anti-ragging commission.
The government will also release a Student Aspiration Survey to understand the expectations and aspirations of students pursuing higher education in the state. According to the Higher Education Minister, these initiatives are part of the government's efforts to promote scientific awareness, strengthen student welfare and make higher education institutions safer and more student-friendly.
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