Self-financing colleges in Kochi to close on Oct 16

Self-financing private professional colleges in Kerala would remain closed on October 16 as a token protest against "attack" on the institutions by various student organisations.

"As a token of protest against continued attack on the self-financing institutions for anything happening in the educational field, all self-financing institutions will remain closed on Oct16 and if there is no change in the situation we may even go in for permanent closure," GPC Nair, President, Self-financing Engineering Management Association, said.

About 2lakh students are currently studying for various courses in self-financing institutions, he told reporters.

These self-financing colleges have invested around Rs4700crore in the state during the last eight years and was providing employment to about 48,200 teachers, he said.

The flow of students from Kerala to neighbouring states for higher education was stopped with the starting of such colleges in Kerala, he said.

"It was self financing colleges which spread professional education which had remained in urban areas to villages", he said.