Ker govt says no commercial motive behind GEM

Kerala government today rejected the CPI(M)-led LDF opposition's charge that there was a commercial motive behind holding of the Global Education Meet (GEM) at nearby Kovalam last month.
Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb told the assembly that the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industrywas invited to partner with the programme, considering its experience in organising such events and close connection with various educational institutions abroad.
He also said that the government has not taken any final decision to set up a special educational zone or open branches of any foreign university in the state.
"We organised the GEM to collect expert opinion on the matter. We have not taken any final decision in this regard. The government has no commercial interest in that," Rabb said during question hour.

Answering a question, the minister also admitted that the national higher education mission, RUSA, had suggested to remove former ambassador T P Sreenivasan, chairman of the state Higher Education Council, from the post.
"However, the government allowed him to continue in the post considering his valuable suggestions to improve the state higher education sector," he said.

The Department of Higher Education and Kerala State Higher Education Council, with the support of FICCI, organised the two-day GEM on January 29 and 30.
The core objective of the meet was to expand international cooperation in higher education.
The inaugural day of the event was marked by the attack against Sreenivasan by the activists of CPI(M)'s students wing Students Federation of India (SFI).