CHENNAI: With a view to increase the admission ratio of students, the State government has decided to establish 10 more arts and science colleges across Tamil Nadu. Besides, from the next academic year onwards, diploma courses in civil engineering and mechanical engineering would also be offered in Tamil medium.
The colleges will be set up in Thiruchuzhi (Virudhunagar district), Thirukovilur (Kallakurichi), Thalavadi (Erode), Oddanchatram (Dindigul), Manur (Tirunelveli), Dharapuram (Tirupur), Yeriyur (Dharmapuri), Alangudi (Pudukkottai), Serkkadu (Vellore), and Koothanallur (Thiruvarur).
The minister added that curricula of all educational institutions coming under the Higher Education department would be revised to suit requirements of the modern times, to prepare students to face competitive examinations, to increase employment opportunities, and to enhance the students’ learning and teaching capacities. “Four more regional centres would be set up for the Tamil Nadu Open University at Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Mayiladuthurai and Sivaganga,” Ponmudi said.
“Vocational training would be given to students of Higher Education via Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan at `3.30 crore. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be soon signed between the Directorate of Technical Education and the IIT Bombay. Similarly, the Directorate of Technical Education will sign an MoU with the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute (EDII) to encourage college students become entrepreneurs,” he added.
As per plans, the Institute of Road and Transport Technology at Erode would be converted to a government engineering college. Foreign languages like German, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian and French, would be taught at colleges during the final year.