Kerala is set to introduce an anonymous student complaint application and establish 300 scientific temper centres across the state as part of initiatives to strengthen student welfare and promote scientific thinking in higher education.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan is scheduled to launch both initiatives at Government Women's College in Thiruvananthapuram on November 5. The programmes aim to reach 15 lakh young people through awareness activities, educational resources and online learning.
The 300 scientific temper centres will operate under the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Scientific Temper, with the first sub-centre scheduled to be inaugurated at the event. Led by the Kerala State Higher Education Council, the initiative will promote scientific awareness, humanism and inquiry-based thinking. It will also include online courses developed in association with C-DIT, educational handbooks and short video content.
The government will also launch the Siddharth Student Welfare App, which is designed to allow students to report ragging and other campus-related concerns confidentially. According to Higher Education Minister Roji M John, students will be able to submit audio complaints anonymously, alerting the relevant authorities without revealing their identities.
The application is named after J S Sidharthan, a 20-year-old veterinary student who died by suicide in February 2024 following alleged ragging at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad.
The state is also considering a draft Siddharth Anti-Ragging Act to establish a legal framework and facilitate the formation of a state anti-ragging commission. A Student Aspiration Survey will also be released to understand the expectations of students in higher education.
The effectiveness of these initiatives will depend on their implementation, particularly the protection of student identities and timely action on complaints.
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