Higher Education Department

POLICY  NOTE -  2002 - 2003

DEMAND No. 19

 1. INTRODUCTION 

Social and economic well-being depends heavily on a highly educated and motivated workforce. Higher Education Policy of the State Government plays a crucial role in creating such a  workforce.  The dawn of the 21st Century has ushered in  greater opportunities to harness and embrace information technology to bring about significant changes in teaching and learning  methodologies within the State. The major policy thrust of the Higher Education department is to consolidate the educational infrastructure, which has been built up in the State while improving the quality standards.  The State would also pay special attention to increase the access ratio with special emphasis on women and other disadvantaged sections of the society.  The policy for Higher Education in the State has been formulated in line with the desire of the Hon'ble Chief Minister to make Tamil Nadu the foremost State in the Country in the field of Higher Education. 

    1.2  The total budget allocation under Demand No.19- Higher Education is Rs. 793.35 crores.  The State has one of the largest intake capacity in the country for Engineering and Polytechnic Education.  The annual intake capacity for Engineering Colleges is about 60,470 and for Polytechnics it is about 45,334. 

     1.3   As mentioned earlier , the endeavour of the Government is to consolidate the capacities built up while improving the quality of these institutions rather than merely increasing the number of new institutions. In line with this policy, the Government have created a Technological University by converting Anna University into an affiliating type. Anna University will initiate programmes for upgrading the engineering curriculum and syllabi in order to respond to new technological developments and demands of the marketplace. The Government will also initiate steps to train more number of qualified teachers to meet the critical shortage of teachers in technical institutions.  Greater emphasis will be laid on encouraging closer interaction between industries and educational institutions so that both parties may mutually benefit. The Anna University will implement the latest e-governance techniques to effectively administer  the 219 affiliated Engineering Colleges. 

            1.4  In the sphere of Technical Education, the Government is committed to improving the Single Window System of admission of students to Engineering Colleges.  This year, apart from facilitating distributed counseling from additional Centres,  a Web-enabled System  is being used for application processing and issue of hall tickets for the Tamil Nadu Professional Course Entrance Examination.  More students have been given access to Polytechnic Education due to reduction in the minimum eligibility marks.  Deserving but poor students aspiring for engineering education are being granted financial assistance on a case  by case basis. 

            1.5  The Government have sanctioned special reservation of seats in Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu  for the inmates of special homes, orthopaedically / physically handicapped / hearing impaired, NSS staff and Indian students from Mauritius.  In Arts and Science Colleges, greater emphasis is being laid on introducing more job- oriented courses.  

1.6   Tamil Nadu Government has the largest number of accredited colleges in the Country.  As a policy, the Government encourages every higher education institution in the State to opt for accreditation either by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in the case of Arts and Science Colleges and Universities or by National Board of Accreditation (NBA)  in the case of Technical Institutions. Institutions are encouraged to undertake development of new curriculum and improve the quality of teaching, learning and administration. 

1.7  Reduction of  minimum educational qualifications to appear for Government Technical Examinations, Typewriting (Junior Grade) has been introduced.  The introduction of transparent  transfer  policy for  teaching  and non teaching staff which is first of its kind in the country has been welcomed by all sections of society in general  and teaching and non teaching community  in particular.   Effective steps have been taken for curbing unauthorized buildings and use of improperly classified land for setting up self-financing institutions. 

         1.8 Recent years have been witnessing higher proportion of women enrolling themselves both in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Arts and Science as well as in Engineering and Management fields of study.  With a view to encourage women belonging to SC/ST, free education up to the postgraduate level  has been implemented from this academic year onwards. 

          1.9   In commemoration of the Women’s Day Celebration all over the World, it has been proposed to affiliate all Women’s Colleges in the region with Mother Teresa Women's University,  Kodaikanal.  Besides this, it has also been proposed to create necessary infrastructure facilities for this University in the next two years. 

1.10 A new university, which will focus one the economic and social upliftment of oppressed classes, including Adi-Dravidars, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Tribes, will be set up at Vellore.  The above university area will comprise of 4 Districts, namely Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore and Villupuram to be named after the great Tamil savant Thiruvalluvar.  This university will be a unique and pioneering effort at social transformation.  

FINANCIAL OUTLAY

        Under Demand No.19 - Higher Education, the total outlay is  Rs.793.35 Crores.  Of  which Rs. 10.31  Crores are  for Plan Schemes and Rs.783.04 Crores are for Non- Plan schemes .