Chennai, August 27( BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu higher education department will enter into a Memorandum Of Understanding with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, the prestigious technical institute of the county, for imparting vocational training to students. The higher education department will be provided financial assistance for this through the Rashtriya Uchathar Shiksha Abhiyan of the Education Department of Government of India. The Central government scheme would provide annual assistance of Rs 3.8 crore for the project, according to a statement from the office of higher education minister, K. Ponmudi on Friday.
The statement also said that the Directorate of Technical Education would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute (EDII). The project will be implemented with central government support under the Skill development scheme. The budget allocation is however not mentioned.
Tamil Nadu government will also open ten new arts and science colleges in Tamil medium and a women’s college at Koothanallur in Tiruvarur district, the statement said. The ten new colleges are coming up at Thiruchulli, Thirukovilur, Thalavadi, Ottachanthiram, Manur, Dharapuram, Eriyur, Alagudi and Serkadu.
The government’s initiative according to the statement is to increase the number of students enrolment as also to provide higher education equally in all districts of the state. The government has also decided to increase the student intake by 25% in colleges.
The state government would also construct new buildings for four of the 13 new colleges that have already been opened by the government in the first phase. These 13 colleges are now functioning in temporary premises.
The statement said that buildings for colleges in Sankarankoil, Jampukulam, Vanur and Alangudi will be constructed at a cost of Rs 45.32 crore.
The higher education department would also be launching diploma courses in mechanical engineering and civil engineering in Tamil medium as there is a 20% reservation for Tamil medium students in government jobs.
Foreign languages like German, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Russian and French would be taught at colleges in Tamil Nadu during the final year of the course, the statement said.
The Institute of Road and Transport Technology at Erode would be upgraded into Engineering college and children of the workers of transport corporation would get 35% reservation for admission in this Engineering college.
Minister for higher education, K. Ponmudi while speaking to BPNS said, “ We are following the path of our leader Kalaignar Karunanidhi who was a proponent of higher education and it was his vision and farsightedness that gave a direction and fillip to higher education sector in the state of Tamil Nadu. We are following his line and want our children to be highly educated and competent in the employment market as well as in entrepreneurship.”
