POLICY NOTE - 2004 – 2005
Demand No. 19

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Growth of Technical Education in Tamil Nadu

4.1 Tamil Nadu gets its pride from the fact that the first of the engineering institutions to come into being in the country was the Survey School established in 1794 at Madras by the East India Company.

4.2 Having made great strides in the field of Technical Education, Tamil Nadu is a frontline State in India imparting Technical Education with 252 Engineering Institutions with an annual intake of 79,302 and 207 Polytechnic Colleges with an annual intake of 56,009. Single Window System conducted by Tamil Nadu was the first of its kind in India .

4.3 Self-supporting short-term courses are being conducted in 54 Polytechnic colleges and the revenue generated is utilised for the development of the institutions.

4.4 A new concept called Training-cum-Production Centre (TCPC) Courses has been introduced in the Diploma institutions on self-supporting basis to benefit the youth and school drop outs who do not have access to vocational education and it is expected that it will also meet the manpower requirements of today’s emerging industries both manufacturing and service sectors.

4.5 The colleges where the courses are being conducted on self-supporting basis are as follows:

1. Government Polytechnic College , Krishnagiri.

2. Elumalai Polytechnic College , Villuppuram.

3. NPA Centenary Polytechnic College , Kothagiri.

4. Government Polytechnic College , Udhagamandalam.

5. Seshasayee Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli.

6. Sankar Institute of Polytechnic College, Thalaiyuthu.

7. Mohamed Sathak Polytechnic College , Keelakarai.

8. Central Polytechnic College , Chennai.

9; Moderator Gnanadasan Polytechnic College , Nagercoil.

More than 500 Students are benefited every year by these schemes.

Technical Education quality improvement Programme (TEQIP)

4.6 The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India through the Department of Secondary and Higher Education has launched a Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) with a total outlay of Rs.300.00 crores funded by the World Bank to improve the quality of Technical Education in the degree and diploma level Engineering institutions in India in important areas like Modernization of Laboratories and Workshops, Faculty and Staff Development, Curricula improvement, Course flexibility, Interaction with industries, Research, Development of Management capacity, Centres of Excellence, and upgrading existing Institutions.

4.7 Tamil Nadu is one among the seven states selected for inclusion in the second cycle of TEQIP. The State Government has constituted a Committee called State Project Facilitation Unit (SPFU) for scrutinising and evaluating the proposals submitted by the selected institutions. The selected proposals for a sum of Rs.347.65 crores have already been sent to National Project Implementation Unit, Noida (UP) for consideration and approval of the National Selection Committee. For the year 2004-05, projects worth about Rs. 73.00 crores have been approved by Government of India for implementation of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme. It will be implemented in the following Government Engineering Colleges and Polytechnic Colleges .

Admission to M.B.A./ M.C.A. Degree Programmes:

4.8 In pursuance of the Judgments of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the W.Ps filed by T.M.A.Pai Foundation and the Islamic Academy of Education against the Government of Karnataka, the All India Council For Technical Education has framed Guidelines for admission to MBA / MCA Programmes in the country through Common Entrance Examination for the academic year 2004-2005. The Government of Tamilnadu has issued orders directing Anna University to conduct Common Entrance tests for admission of students to MCA/MBA programmes in Government, Government Aided and Self-Financing Engineering and Arts & Science Colleges including Stand Alone Institutions.  

Eligibility Criteria for admission to Engineering Colleges in Tamil Nadu:

4.9 For admission to B.E./ B.Tech / B.Arch Degree Courses, there is no age limit for SC/ST candidates and for others it has been 21 years. Likewise the number of attempts for pass in the Qualifying Examination has been 3 for SC/ST candidates and 2 for others. Now, from the academic year 2004-2005, the Government have ordered the removal of both the Age limit and the limit on the number of attempts to pass the qualifying examination.

4.10 The admission to Engineering Colleges under Government Quota seats in Tamilnadu is done under Single Window system through centralised counselling based on the marks secured in the Tamilnadu Professional Courses Entrance Examination (TNPCEE) and the Qualifying Examination, following communal reservation.

4.11 As ordered by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the Government of Tamilnadu has constituted a committee headed by Hon’ble Mr.Justice S.S.Subramani (Retired ) as Chairman to ensure that the Common Entrance Test for management quota is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.

Fixation of fee structure in Un-Aided Private Professional Colleges

4.12 As ordered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the Government have constituted a committee for fixation of fees in respect of self–financing Professional colleges headed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice A.Raman (Retired) as Chairman.

Educational Qualification to appear for Government Technical Examinations

 4.13 The Government during 2003 have ordered that students who have passed the 8 th Std. are eligible to appear for English/Tamil Typewriting Junior Grade examinations.

 4.14 During 2004 the Government have further ordered that all those who have passed the Junior Grade in Typewriting are eligible to appear for Higher Grade in Typewriting.

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