Panel for 10% quota to govt students in professional courses

The committee, under the chairmanship of former Delhi High Court Justice D Murugesan, which was constituted to assess the reasons for fewer number of government school students getting admission into professional courses, had recommended that not less than 10% of seats in the professional courses may be set apart to provide preference in admission to the students in state-run schools without affecting the rule of reservation currently in force.

However, the Tamil Nadu government has implemented 7.5% horizontal reservation in professional courses, including in Engineering admissions.

The panel also said the state should evolve a mechanism to further improve the quality and standard of education in the government school system on par with the state-of-the-art of modern education technology.

The committee in its recommendation asked the government to improve the infrastructure facilities in the state-run schools, especially in the rural areas, to ensure vacancy of teachers post in the schools is filled up, to evolve a mechanism to reduce the dropouts and to make necessary arrangements to create a conducive pollution-free, clean and safe environment in the campus.

The report further asked the authorities to motivate the teachers who serve in government schools located in rural areas in the development of self-reliance of the students to compete with the students of private schools and to create awareness of the available professional courses, admission procedures, job opportunities among the parents of government school students through Parents Teachers Association periodically.

The panel recommended establishing special talent search teams in every district for higher education.