POLICY NOTE
DEMAND NO. 20 - HIGHER EDUCATION 2009– 2010
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INTRODUCTION
Education has continued to evolve, diversify and extend its reach and coverage since the dawn of human history. Every country develops its own system of education to express and promote its unique socio-cultural identity and also to meet the challenges of the development that are taking place from time to time. By the formulation and implementation of various schemes by this Government towards the development of Higher Education, Tamilnadu has become a forerunner in the field of higher education at the National level.
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1.2 Expanding the access to higher education to all at affordable cost and ensuring the quality of education are the aims of this Government. In order to achieve these aims, this Government is implementing various schemes. The schemes were formulated in consultation with Vice-Chancellors, Educationists and other Stake holders of Higher Education. The reforms which were brought in Higher Education for the last three years are appreciated by educationists as positive development.
1.3 In order to increase the coverage of Higher Education to all to pursue Higher Education and to give equal opportunity to the youth from socially and educationally backward class of people and rural areas, Arts & Science Colleges were started at Mettur, Valparai, Perambalur, Orathanadu, Surandai, Kulithalai and Lalgudi in public sector.
1.4 Prior to 1947, Guindy College of Engineering is the only Engineering College established by Government. Guindy Engineering college was established in the year 1859. Alagappa College of Technology, Chennai was started during the year 1945. After independence, Madras Institute of Technology, Chrompet was started during the year 1949. Government College of Technology, Coimbatore and Alagappa Chettiyar College of Engineering and Technology, Karaikudi were established during the year 1952. Government College of Engineering, Salem was started during the year 1966. Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli was started during the year 1981. Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology, Vellore was started during the year 1990. Government Engineering College, Bargur was started
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2 during the year 1994. Bharathidasan Institute of Technology, Trichy was started during the year 1999. Of these, Alagappa College of Technology, Chennai, Madras Institute of Technology, Chrompet and Alagappa Chettiyar College of Engineering and Technology, Karaikudi were started as private colleges and subsequently converted as Government Colleges. The number of engineering colleges started by Government after independence was only 6. But during the year 2008-2009, new Engineering Colleges were started by the respective Anna Universities at Tindivanam, Villupuram, Panruti, Thirukkuvalai, Ramanathapuram and Ariyalur. In addition to this, as announced in the 2009-2010 Budget Speech, new Engineering Colleges are being started by the respective Anna Universities in the districts of Thiruvannamalai, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari. Thus the establishment of 11 new Engineering Colleges through the respective Anna Universities in a period of two years is really an historic achievement.
1.5 In order to increase the gross enrolment of students in higher education, the following steps have been taken by the Government:-