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.
Kerala will open 300 centres promoting scientific thinking among 15 lakh youths and launch a mobile app for anonymous campus complaints.
An online course developed in association with the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) will also be launched during the programme. 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. It will also offer online courses on scientific temper, along with handbooks and short educational videos. 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 government will also release a Student Aspiration Survey to understand the expectations and aspirations of students pursuing higher education in the state.
The initiative plans to reach 15 lakh young people through 300 centres across the state. 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.
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, according to the Higher Education Minister.
