Tamil Nadu’s Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi announced that the government was planning to establish 10 arts and sciences colleges across the state.
The new colleges will be set up in Thiruchuzhi in Virudhunagar district, Thirukovilur in Kallakurichi, Thalavadi in Erode, Oddanchatram in Dindigul, Manur in Tirunelveli,
Dharapuram in Tirupur, Yeriyur in Dharmapuri, Alangudi in Pudukkottai, Serkkadu in Vellore, and a woman’s college in Koothanallur in Thiruvarur district.
Speaking in the state legislative Assembly, Ponmudi said the main objective was to increase students’ enrolment and provide higher education facilities equally in all areas.
Apart from the announcement of 10 new colleges, the minister also said digital libraries in 17 colleges will be upgraded at the cost of Rs 85 lakh and new libraries would be set up in Vyasarpadi in Chennai, Dharmapuri, Paramakudi, Ariyalur, Musiri, Villupuram, Sivaganga, Kumbakonam, Dindigul and Tirunelveli.
Women friendly diploma and short-term certificate courses in interior decoration, office management and computer applications, web designing, CAD, bio-medical electronics and ECG will be started as a measure to increase women’s enrolment, and help widen their employment opportunities.
The minister added that the curriculum of all educational institutions under the Higher Education department would be revised to prepare students to face competitive examinations, and to increase employment opportunities.
“Four more regional centres will be set up for the Tamil Nadu Open University at Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Mayiladuthurai and Sivaganga”. He also announced that PhD programmes would be offered in the arts and science colleges and diploma courses in civil and mechanical engineering would be launched in Tamil next year.
