Higher Education Department

POLICY NOTE - 2006 – 2007

Demand No. 20

INTRODUCTION

Higher Education plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of every State.  This Government is determined to take Tamilnadu to greater heights in the sphere of Higher Education.

1.2        Accessibility to higher education in Tamilnadu is 7% of eligible youth of our state, whereas the access rate is upto 80% in the western world.  China which was in the range of 1.5% during 1976-1977, has grown to the level of 25% in 2005.  Our endeavour is to achieve the access rate of 25%  by 2020.

1.3        Affordability in our state assumes a greater importance in the context of access to higher education to the youth who are from socially and educationally backward class of people and who hail from rural Tamilnadu.  At one side the number of higher education institutions go up manifold, there is a urgent need that youth from poor families also have an equal opportunity to pursue higher education.

 1.4        Employability of educated youth is an important aspect which no government can ignore.  A recent survey of Confederation of Indian Industry on employment status of educated youth in Tamilnadu has stated that around 70% of arts and science graduates are unemployed for three years after graduation and 40% graduated from technical institutions do not find employment within two years of graduation. Taking into account these aspects this Government is taking steps to introduce job oriented courses in the arts and science colleges and also thinking of providing skill enhancement training to the final year students of engineering colleges with the support of concerned industries.  The aim of this Government is to reduce the unemployment of educated youth to the minimum possible extent. 

1.5        The endeavour of the Government is to make higher education more accessible and affordable to the economically weaker sections and the rural students and to create employment opportunity through higher education.  To achieve the above objectives, the Government have taken the following steps:-  

(i)   The Government have converted all self-supporting courses into regular courses in Government Engineering and Arts Colleges in order to lessen the burden of the poor students.   

1. (ii)  The tuition fees and other fees for Engineering Degree courses in Government Engineering Colleges have been reduced from Rs.12,550/- to Rs.7,550/- from the academic year 2006-2007.     

(iii)  In order to lessen the burden and hardship faced by students, the Government have constituted a committee of educational experts for recommending to Government about the measures to be taken for the abolition of Common Entrance Test from 2007-2008.  

(iv)  The Government have taken steps to fill up the vacancies in teaching posts through Teachers Recruitment Board.

1.6    Besides the above, the Government will take the following steps also:-

(i)   The Government will take Steps to start Government College of Education in districts where no Government college of education exists, in order to make teacher education more accessible. 

(ii)  With a view to encourage the poor students to pursue Higher Education, the Government will take steps to bear the cost of tuition fees and hostel fees as payable in the Government Engineering Colleges.

1.7        In order to make admission to Engineering colleges a smooth affair, the Government have decided to enact a Legislation providing for procedure for admission including rule of reservation to Higher Education institutions.  The Legislation will also provide for a mechanism to supervise the admission as well as fee fixation in self-financing colleges.   This Legislation will be applicable to admission to MBA, MCA and B.Ed. colleges also.  By this Legislation, the Government is of the view that the confusion which prevailed among parents and students regarding admission in the Engineering colleges during the last few years will come to an end.

1.8        During this year (2006-2007), self-financing Engineering colleges on their own volition have surrendered seats for admission under single window system.  Non minority institutions have surrendered 65% of seats and minority institutions have surrendered 50% of seats thereby giving more than 13,000 additional seats to be added to the single window system.  By this measure, many meritorious and poor students will benefit. 

1.9      This Government is of the view that for a regulated growth of Higher Education the subject “Education” should be brought under the State List from the Concurrent List of Constitution of India.  By bringing “Education” to State List, this Government feels that Higher Education may  be made accessible and affordable  to all who would like to pursue Higher Education after Plus Two.  Besides this, monitoring the standard and quality of education will be more effective.   In order to bring “Education” under State List, an amendment has to be brought to the Constitution of India.  This Government will take necessary efforts in this regard.     

1.10      The Government have recognised the contribution made by Perunthalaivar Kamarajar to Educational development in Tamilnadu and declared his Birthday as Education Development Day. On the occasion of his Birth Anniversary on 15th July, Hon’ble Chief Minister has announced that a Centre for Education Research at Madurai Kamaraj University will be created to have a focused attention on research in education.

1.11      Considering the awakening and prosperity created by the Dravidian Movement,  this Government have decided to establish a Centre for Research on Dravidian  Movement at Madras University Campus on the occasion of one Hundred and Fiftieth Year Celebration of Madras University to take up higher level research in the history of Dravidian Movement, the related political social thoughts, socio-economic reforms and policies and to create continued awakening and opportunity to the future generations of Tamilnadu.  The Government will take necessary steps to establish this Centre at University of Madras expeditiously. 

FINANCIAL OUTLAY

Under Demand No.20 - Higher Education, the total outlay is  Rs.892.00 Crores  of  which Rs.88.90 Crores are  for Plan Schemes and Rs.803.10 Crores are for Non- Plan schemes . 

BUDGET ESTIMATE  2006 – 2007

PART-II SCHEMES FOR THE YEAR 2006-2007

           (Rs. in lakhs)

 Technical Education

Tamilnadu Archives

Tamilnadu State Council for Science and Technology

Tamilnadu Science and Technology Centre

Science City

2.   COLLEGIATE EDUCATION

2.1  The Directorate of Collegiate Education was formed in the year 1965 with a view to exclusively administer Collegiate Education by bifurcating the erstwhile Directorate of Public Instruction into Directorate of School Education and Directorate of Collegiate Education. The present Government are very keen in making   Tamilnadu  the most advanced State in the field of Higher Education by  introducing  advanced Scientific  and Technological measures.  The thrust area will be  the field of Information Technology which has got a phenomenal scope for the employment of our youth studying in the  Higher Education Institutions in Tamilnadu.

2.2  Presently 670 colleges are functioning under the administrative control of the Directorate of Collegiate Education as detailed below :

Restoring the status of Government Colleges

2.3        The previous Government had converted   all the Government Colleges into  ‘Constituent Colleges’ of the Universities to which they are affiliated with effect from 16.10.2002.  However, the scheme could not be implemented successfully and all the colleges continue to be administered by the Government only.  In order to set right the prevailing ambiguity in the matter, the Government have decided to restore the status of all the Government Colleges.  Necessary steps will be taken to withdraw the concept of constituent colleges and the colleges will be once again made full-fledged Government Colleges.

Converting the self-financing courses in Government colleges into regular courses

2.4   After the Government Colleges had been converted into Constituent Colleges, quite a number of UG and PG Courses have been started from 2003-04 under Self financing basis in the constituent colleges.  76 new UG Arts and Science courses and 148 PG Arts and Science courses have been started on Self Financing basis in the Constituent Colleges.  The fees for these self-financing courses are higher than the fees collected for the regular courses.  Fees structure also varies from one college to another college. This has adversely affected the students hailing from the socially and economically weaker sections of the society.  In order to do away with the existing disparity in the fee structure in Government colleges and to lessen the burden for the poor students, this Government have converted the self-financing courses in Government colleges into regular courses.

Accreditation of colleges in Tamilnadu (NAAC)

2.5  In Tamilnadu, a large number of Institutions have already been accredited by NAAC. As on date, a total number of 175 Arts and Science colleges and Colleges of Education in Tamilnadu have been accredited by NAAC as detailed below:

1.   Government Colleges                  :     55

2.   Government Aided Colleges        :     97

3.   Self-financing colleges                :     23

                                                         --------

                                                          175

                                                         --------

2.6        Accreditation will help the colleges once in three years to conduct self study of what had been done in the previous three years period. It is to take stock of situation in the areas of Curricular, Extra Curricular activities, Placement, Quality of Education and remedial measures taken for improving the standard of education and performance of students, the employability of the students and the overall personality development of the students.

 2.7    The present Government are very keen to encourage all the colleges in the State to obtain accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

Granting of  autonomy to more colleges

2.8   The concept of autonomy saw its advent in Tamilnadu during the year 1978-79.  At present there are 67 Autonomous Colleges in the State, of which 15 are Government, 45 are Government Aided and the remaining 7 are Self-financing institutions.  Autonomy provides an opportunity to be more innovative and creative and to raise academic standards. Under autonomy, the colleges are empowered to have their own syllabus and authorised to conduct examinations and evaluate the students.   This will encourage the students to take active interest in studies and consequently improve the quality of education. Since there is a continuous assessment, the students are expected to concentrate on studies, have better conduct and develop their personality.  The Government will take appropriate steps to grant autonomy to more colleges in Tamilnadu which will enhance their academic standard.

Special repairs and maintenance works in Government colleges

2.9        Funds are provided by the Government  every year for carrying out the essential  special repairs and maintenance of Government college buildings.  During the year 2005-2006, a sum of Rs.8.72 crores had been provided for this purpose. During the current financial year, the Government have provided a sum of Rs.11.72 crores for carrying out urgently required special repairs and maintenance works in Government college buildings.   Priority will be given to repair damaged toilets, damaged roads in the campus, drinking water pipelines and leaky roofs in the college buildings.  Urgently required repair works will be undertaken in the   hostels attached to Government colleges also.  

Cluster System : E-education

2.10    It has been decided to introduce Cluster System of education (Group of colleges with electronic education facilities (E-education) in 7 or 8 Government Colleges during this academic year. In this system the students who are studying  in the above colleges could approach the other college through EDUSAT and exchange Course Materials, Library Books, Journals etc. in e-form. Due to this activity these students can get their counterpart's knowledge and exchange their views on the academic aspects. Consequently they could improve their knowledge by utilising the facility.

Construction of Additional Class Rooms in the Government Colleges situated in Rural Areas

2.11   It has been decided that additional class rooms will be constructed in certain Government Colleges which are situated in Rural Areas by utilising the funds provided by Rural Infrastructural Development Fund of NABARD.  A sum of    Rs.1.00 crore will be requested for each college during this year. 

National Service Scheme (N.S.S)

2.12   National Service Scheme is implemented in Universities, Colleges, Polytechnics and Higher Secondary Schools.  The Government of India  and Government of Tamilnadu  provide grant in the ratio of 7:5.  The Universities and Colleges including Polytechnics and Higher Secondary Schools had  2,78,000 volunteers during the year 2005-2006 and it is expected that the enrolment of volunteers will cross 3,00,000 during the year 2006-2007.  At present there are 3058 NSS Units functioning in Universities, Colleges and Technical institutions and  in Higher Secondary Schools.  The NSS is functioning under the control of Director of Collegiate Education who is also the State  Co-ordinator of N.S.S.  For the year 2006-07 a total sum of Rs.660.77 lakhs had been provided as grant for NSS, of which, the Central share was Rs.385.45 lakhs and the State share was Rs.275.32 lakhs.

Free coaching  exclusively for women students for appearing in IAS / IPS Examination

2.13   Two centres - one at Queen Mary’s College, Chennai and the other at Arulmigu Meenakshi Government  College for Women, Madurai, have been established by the Government to give free coaching to women students to enable them to appear for the I.A.S./I.P.S. examinations.   In each centre, 60 women students are given free coaching.   During the current financial year, the Government have provided a sum of Rs.10.00 lakhs for implementing this scheme.   

Stipend for Tamil medium students

2.14  This scheme was introduced in the year     1971-1972.   Under this scheme, all the students who study in Tamil medium classes in Government and Government Aided colleges were sanctioned a stipend of Rs.180 per annum irrespective of community and parental income.  This Government have raised this stipend amount from Rs.180 to Rs.400 per annum from the year 1997-1998.

Scholarship schemes

2.15  The Following Scholarships are being awarded by the Directorate of Collegiate Education:

i.          National Merit Scholarships (Government of India).

ii.          State Scholarships for the children of school teachers.

iii.         State Merit Scholarship.

iv.         Adhoc Merit Grant for S.C & S.T. students.

v.          State Collegiate Scholarships.

vi.         Scholarships to Tamilnadu students pursuing research  studies in Jawaharlal  Nehru University, New Delhi.

vii.        Scholarships to cadets belonging to Tamilnadu in Rastriya Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun.

viii.        Scholarships to cadets belonging to Tamilnadu in National Defence Academy, Kadakvasala, Pune.

ix.         Educational concessions to the children of Defence Service Personnel.

x.         Educational concessions to the children of ex-service men.

xi.         Scheme of payment of stipend to full time Ph.D. research scholars in Govt. and aided colleges.

xii.        Scholarship scheme  under Educational Assistance to the children of members of Agriculture Labour Welfare Board.

Periyar EVR Nagammai Scheme

2.16   Periyar EVR  Nagammai Free Education scheme to women students is  implemented since 1989-90.  Under this scheme, women students irrespective of caste, creed and community and whose parental annual income does not exceed Rs.24000/- are exempted from payment of tuition fees in undergraduate courses. During 2005-2006,  8936  women students were  benefited under this scheme.  During the current financial year 2006-2007, a sum of Rs.65.00 lakhs has been allotted for this scheme.   

  Teachers Faculty Improvement Programme

2.17   With a view to motivate  research activities among  the Lecturers working in Government Colleges and to enable them to equip themselves in  modern trends, teachers are deputed for research studies leading to M.Phil. and Ph.D. Degrees with UGC Assistance.

Special coaching to SC/ST and MBC students

2.18   The Students studying in Government Colleges particularly in rural areas belonging to SC/ST and MBC communities find it difficult to get through the University examinations in English, Maths and Science Subjects. In order to make them fully conversant with these subjects, special coaching by way of remedial classes are being conducted.