Chapter 2 THE UNIVERSITY

Establishment and Incorporation of the University.—

1. (1) There shall be established and incorporated a University by the name “Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology”.
2. (2) The headquarters of the University shall be in Thiruvananthapuram District.
3. (3) The University shall consist of Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Dean, Registrar, General Council, Board of Governors, Senate, other authorities and officers as set forth in this Act or as provided in the Statutes made thereunder.
4. (4) The University shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire and hold property both movable and immovable, to lease or sell or otherwise transfer any movable or immovable property which may have become vested in or have been acquired by it for the purpose of the University, to borrow money from the Central Government or any other State Government or from any body corporate approved by the Government, to contract and to do all other things necessary for the purposes of this Act and shall by the said name sue or be sued.
5. (5) In all suits and other legal proceedings by or against the University, the pleadings shall be signed and verified by the Registrar or any other person authorized by him in this behalf and all the processes in such suits and proceedings shall be issued to and served on the Registrar.
6. (6) Where the Government decide that the educational facilities offered by the University shall be given on a subsidised rate to the needy and deprived sections of the society, the Government shall make good the amount of subsidy incurred by the University.

Objects of the University.—The objects of the University shall be as follows, namely:—

1. (a) to facilitate and promote post graduate education, research, training and consultancy works in information technology and its multidisciplinary applications;
2. (b) to support creation of high quality human resources in the field of digital technology through variety of education and research programs, skill development initiatives and industry relevant courses;
3. (c) to achieve excellence in digital technology and matters connected therewith or incidental thereto;
4. (d) to create a paradigm shift in the way of information technology and digital technologies that can be used for improving the delivery of services in selected domains;
5. (e) to enable industrial sector to develop futuristic products, innovations and services;
6. (f) to create an impact on the fellow academic community in India and abroad; and
7. (g) to attract best minds of the world and to be completely globally integrated.

Powers of the University.—The University shall have the following powers, namely:—

1. (a) to provide instruction in such branches of learning and to set up various schools of study as the University may, from time to time, determine and to make provisions for research and for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and skills;
2. (b) to grant, subject to such conditions as the University may determine, diplomas and certificates and to confer degrees and other academic distinctions on the basis of examinations, evaluation or any other method to test one’s ability;
3. (c) to confer honorary degrees or other distinctions in the manner prescribed by the Statutes;
4. (d) to set up Independent Centers of Excellence (ICOEs), Independent Training and Outreach Centers and other such entities involved in research, training and consulting with independent financial and operational autonomy in compliance with the Statutes of the University;
5. (e) to set up education and research centres in other parts of the State and with the permission of the Government, in other parts of India;
6. (f) to give recognition to the government recognized research organizations and training centres to work as Extension Centres, Independent Centres of Excellence, Training Centres and Outreach Centres of the University in compliance with the Statutes;
7. (g) to organize and undertake extramural studies and knowledge extension services;
8. (h) to create contractual, administrative, ministerial and other posts in the University and to appoint persons in such posts;
   • (i) to fix the salary structure including allowances, provident fund and other allowances of the posts mentioned in clause
9. (h) so as to meet the minimum norms of regulatory bodies, such as University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical Education etc., provided that the net salaries may be higher than those prescribed by the regulatory bodies but in no case lower to determine the contractual terms, length and tenure of contract, expectations, roles, responsibilities etc., associated with the contract for all academic, teaching and other employees; to establish revenue sharing mechanisms with all its employees;
10. (j) to appoint persons working in any other Universities or organizations as teachers of the University for a specified period;
11. (k) to create performance based incentive system to attract and retain world class talents in the University, schools and research centres;
12. (l) to associate with industrial establishments, non-governmental organizations and other research organizations to set up chair positions to pursue advanced research and practice;
13. (m) to form mutually beneficial relationships with other Universities in India and abroad involving exchange of knowledge, technology, students and faculties and to facilitate mutual establishment of research centers focused on digital sciences, technology and humanities;
14. (n) to associate with international research agencies, funding agencies and foundations for taking up research and studies in Digital Sciences, technology, interdisciplinary innovation, entrepreneurship, liberal arts and humanities;
15. (o) to generate and monetize the intellectual property through research and consulting;
16. (p) to co-operate, collaborate or associate with any other University, authority or organization of higher learning, industry and corporate house, laboratory engaged in cutting-edge work, in such manner and for such purposes as the University may determine;
17. (q) to approve persons working in organizations mentioned in clause
18. (p) for imparting instruction or supervising research or both or to withdraw such approval;
19. (r) to set up a body of academia to perform academic functions and to pay them remuneration in the manner prescribed; to prescribe fee and other charges to be levied on the students;
20. (t) to set up facilities like computer centers, laboratories, library etc.;
21. (u) to set up curriculum development centers for different subjects;
    • (v) to determine standards for admission to the University which may include examination, evaluation or any other method of selection;
22. (w) to institute and award fellowships, scholarships, medals and prizes;
    • (x) to demand and receive fee or other charges for knowledge extension work;
23. (y) to supervise the residence of students of the University and to make arrangements for promoting their health and general welfare;
24. (z) to make such special arrangements in respect of women students as the University may consider desirable;
25. (za) to regulate the conduct of the students of the University;
26. (zb) to regulate the work and conduct of the teachers and employees of the University;
27. (zc) to regulate and enforce discipline among the employees and students of the University and take such disciplinary measures in this regard as may be deemed necessary;
28. (zd) to make arrangements for promoting the health and general welfare of the teachers and employees of the University;
29. (ze) to receive benefactions, donations and gifts from persons, companies, governmental and non-governmental institutions, Trusts and Non-Governmental Organisations and to name such chairs, institutions, buildings and the like as the University may determine;
30. (zf) to acquire, hold, manage and dispose of any property, movable or immovable including Trust and endowment properties, for the University: Provided that the prior permission of the Government is necessary to acquire, hold, manage and dispose of such property, movable or immovable for which the land was acquired or the building was constructed with the assistance of Government;
31. (zg) to borrow money, with the approval of the Government, on security of the property of the University, for the purposes of the management and development of the University;
32. (zh) to assess the needs in terms of subjects, fields of specialization, level of education and training of technical manpower, both on short and long term basis and to initiate suitable programmes to meet these needs;
33. (zi) to provide for instruction through online interactive learning and to provide mobility of students from the non-formal (open learning) stream to the formal stream and vice-versa; and
34. (zj) to do all such other acts and things as may be necessary or incidental to the exercise of all or any of the powers of the University or necessary or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects of the University.

Admission to the University.—

1. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act and the Statutes and in compliance with the principles of reservation in force, from time to time, admission to the University shall be open to persons of all gender and of whatever race, creed, caste or class and the University shall not enquire or insist on any person, whatsoever of religious belief or profession or political opinion in order to entitle him to be appointed as a teacher of the University or to hold any office therein or to be admitted as a student of the University, or to graduate there, or to enjoy or exercise any privilege thereof.
2. (2) The University shall be open to students of any nationality and they may be admitted in the manner, as may be prescribed.
3. (3) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prevent the University from making any special provision for the appointment or admission of women or of persons belonging to Other Backward Classes of the society and persons belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Sponsoring Entity.—

1. (1) The Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management—Kerala (IIITM-K), a company incorporated under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (Central Act 1 of 1956) with certificate No. 09-14187 of 2000 dated 5-9- 2000, shall be the Sponsoring Entity of the University.
2. (2) The Sponsoring Entity shall facilitate all the infrastructural facilities as may be required for the establishment of the University;