Keralam to Set Up 300 Science Centres, Launch Anonymous Campus Complaint App

Keralam will establish 300 science centres to promote scientific temper among 15 lakh young people and launch a mobile application allowing students to anonymously report ragging and other campus-related issues, the state government said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan will launch the two initiatives at Government Women's College in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. He will also inaugurate the first sub-centre of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Scientific Temper at 11.30 am, according to an official statement.

Higher Education Minister Roji M John will preside over the function, which will also be attended by Transport Minister C P John. The science awareness initiative, spearheaded by the Keralam State Higher Education Council, aims to promote scientific temper, humanism and inquiry-based thinking among students and the wider public.

The programme seeks to reach 15 lakh young people through 300 centres across the state. It will also include online courses, handbooks and video reels. An online course developed in association with C-DIT will be formally launched during the event. The government will also introduce the Siddharth Student Welfare App, designed to provide students with a confidential platform to report ragging and other campus-related problems without disclosing their identity.

The application will allow users to submit anonymous audio complaints and alert the authorities concerned about safety-related issues. It has been named after J S Sidharthan, a 20-year-old veterinary student who allegedly died by suicide in February 2024 following ragging by fellow students at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad.

Meanwhile, a draft of the Siddharth Anti-Ragging Act is under the government's consideration. The proposed legislation aims to provide a legal framework for the initiative and facilitate the formation of a state anti-ragging commission.

The government will also release a Student Aspiration Survey to understand the expectations of students in the higher education sector. The initiatives are part of the state's efforts to promote scientific thinking, strengthen student welfare and make higher education institutions more student-friendly, the minister said.