State to reserve 7.5% seats for govt students in professional courses
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly, on Thursday, passed the Bill to provide 7.5% reservation for government school students in professional courses.
“For several years, owing to socio-economic differences, students from government schools haven’t been able to cope with their counterparts in private institutions. Hence, as was done for medical colleges, the State decided to reserve seats for government school students in all categories of engineering, agriculture, veterinary, fisheries and law colleges,” Chief Minister MK Stalin said after tabling the Bill.
The Bill is to be called the Tamil Nadu Admission To Undergraduate Professional Courses On A Preferential Basis To Students of Government Schools Act, 2021. According to the Act, students from Classes 6 to those in higher secondary sections in government schools and students of weaker and disadvantaged sections who studied in private schools under Right to Education Act from Class 8-12 will be eligible for the quota.
Stalin, while listing out the percentage of government school students getting admission in various professional courses in 2020-21, said only 6.31% and 0.44% of government school students got admission in government engineering colleges and in government aided engineering colleges, respectively. In other professional courses such as veterinary studies only 3% of government school students got admission, in fisheries only 3.7% government school students got admission, in agriculture colleges only 4.89% students got admission and in Tamil Nadu National Law University in Tiruchy less than 1% students got admission, he said.
The state on Thursday made a host of announcements for higher and school education departments, including opening of ten new government arts colleges and translation of renowned Tamil literature.
Titled “Thisaithorum Dravidam,” School Education Minister Mahesh Poyyamozhi announced in the Assembly that renowned Tamil books like A Great Tamil Dream (Maaperum Tamizh Kanavu), Ponniyin Selvan, Vaikom Porattam (Vaikkom Struggle) would be translated in Malayalam.
Replying to the debate on demand for grants for School Education Department, he said that Karunanidhi’s summary of Tirukkural and short stories of T Janakiraman would be translated into Telugu and Kannada, respectively. The Minister also informed the House that other renowned literature would be translated into Tamil from other Dravidian languages. He also announced the launch of Muthamilaringar Translation Project to translate literature, physics, medicine, economics, engineering, chemistry and agriculture related books into Tamil for the benefit of students pursuing higher education at a cost of Rs 2 crore.
Award for young writers
To promote young writers, three young writers below 18 years of age would be presented with “Kavimani Award” which carries Rs 25,000 cash and citation every year.
Key takeaways
A Guidance and Consultation center would be created in all government schools to guide students to pursue higher education
Books, e-books and e-research journals would be procured for Anna Centenary Library at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore
E-libraries would be developed in 1,926 branch libraries and 1,915 rural libraries at a cost of Rs 2.4 crore in five years
Connemara library would be modernized at a cost of Rs 3.2 crore
Transfers of govt school teachers would be made transparent through counselling. A separate policy would be unveiled and implemented from 2021-22
Software to give sanctions to new schools online
For higher education
New arts and science colleges would be opened in Tiruchuli in Virudhunagar, Tirukovilur in Kallakurichi, Thalavadi in Erode, Ottanchathiram in Dindigul, Maanur in Tirunelveli, Dharapuram in Tirupur, Eriyur in Dharmapuri, Alangudi in Pudukottai and Serkadu in Vellore
16 existing libraries would be upgraded and digitized at Rs 85 lakh and 10 new digital libraries would be created
PhD research programs would be started in Govt Arts and Science Colleges in Chengalpattu, Salem, Coimbatore, Namakkal, Tiruchy, Dindigul, Kumbakonam, Kovilpatti, Nandanam in Chennai and Tirupur
Diploma in Mechanical and Civil Engineering would be launched
Women friendly Diploma and Short term certificate courses like CAD, Web Designing, Office Management and computer application, interior decoration and bio medical electronics would be launched
Foreign languages like German, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian and French would be taught to final year students of govt and govt aided engineering colleges for overseas exposure
Institute of Road and Transport Technology in Erode would be converted into Govt Engineering College.
Lateral entry to B Com courses would be facilitated for students of Diploma in Commercial Practice
MoU will be signed between Directorate of Technical Education and IIT-Bombay to increase technical skills of students and employability