Copyright thehindu
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian will lay the foundation stone for a new academic block at the Central University of Kerala in Kasaragod on October 30, marking a major step in the university’s infrastructure expansion. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has allocated ₹52.68 crore for the project under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, Registrar-in-Charge R. Jayaprakash said at a press conference in Kasaragod on Monday (October 27, 2025). The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on the Periya campus. CUK Vice-Chancellor Siddu P. Algur will preside. Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan, Uduma MLA C.H. Kunhambu, and others will take part. Four-storey block The upcoming four-storey academic block designed in the Kerala architectural model will house the departments of Management Studies, Tourism Studies, Commerce, and International Business under the School of Business Studies. Spanning 7,500 square metre, the building will feature 25 smart classrooms, departmental libraries, computer labs, and office rooms. It will also include a 50 kW solar power plant, a 1 lakh litre rainwater harvesting tank, and a seminar hall with 500-person capacity. This marks the largest allocation the university has received from a ministry other than the Ministry of Education. Earlier, the Ministry of Minority Affairs funded the construction of the university’s hostels, sanctioning ₹19.13 crore for the girls’ hostel and ₹22.26 crore, jointly with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, for the boys’ hostel. Both hostels were inaugurated in June 2023 by the then Minister of State for Minority Affairs, John Barla. At present, the Periye campus has 12 academic blocks, housing 26 departments along with 10 hostels, a dedicated library, and an administrative headquarters which was inaugurated recently. Facilities such as a health centre, guest house, faculty and staff quarters, and a common hostel canteen are also operational. The university has implemented four-year degree programmes in line with the National Education Policy and plans to launch additional courses in the coming years. Dr. Jayaprakash, Finance Officer-in-Charge Rajendra Pilangatta, and Public Relations Officer K. Sujith were at the press conference.
