Higher Education
Colleges in South India
Educational News Today
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Chennai: In what could be a blueprint for a major shift in the higher education policy of Tamil Nadu, a high-level committee on Wednesday strongly recommended upgrading of established government and aided colleges into unitary universities. The committee headed by eminent academician V C Kulandaisamy has indicated that at least 150 colleges in the state might qualify to be upgraded as unitary universities when judged on the basis of a 10-point evaluation scale framed by it.
The recommendation draws heavy inspiration from the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) and Yashpal Committee reports which had fervently advocated the need to create 1500 universities in the country. This is the first state-level attempt to take forward the ideas mooted by the NKC and Yashpal Committee.
In a 50-page report submitted to chief minister M Karunanidhi, the committee said “the move to upgrade colleges into universities will be an historic initiative by the Tamil Nadu government. The present national policies offer most appropriate opportunities for this purpose which should not be missed at any cost.”
The committee constituted in the backdrop of opposition to a government move to upgrade five government colleges including Presidency and Queen Mary’s College, and two aided institutions into unitary universities, has argued that although ever university cannot be a Harvard or Oxford, universities alone would create an atmosphere of enquiry, investigation, seminars and conferences.
Pointing to the need for colleges to break free from the shackles of the British-legacy of university affiliating system, the panel said that affiliated colleges rarely grow beyond being mere tutorial institutions preparing students for undergraduate examinations. Consequently, the focus on postgraduate education and research is skewed.
Upgrading colleges into universities have been experimented successfully in the past with the College of Engineering Guindy (now Anna University); the Veterinary College (TANUVAS) and the Agricultural College (TN Agricultural University).
The report also argued that the UK which had a population of nearly 60 million, far lesser than that of Tamil Nadu, has 125 universities whereas the state had only 53 universitylevel institutions of which 28 were deemed universities.
To begin with government and aided autonomous colleges and a few outstanding institutions which score over 50% on the 10 point scale could be upgraded into unitary universities. The Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education, as the nodal agency, can come up with a model Act for the purpose. To reduce the financial uncertainties, the government may establish the Unitary University Development Fund, like the proposed National Educational Fund, the report added.
150 colleges may qualify to be unitary universities: Panel
Chennai: In what could be a blueprint for a major shift in the higher education policy of Tamil Nadu, a high-level committee on Wednesday strongly recommended upgrading of established government and aided colleges into unitary universities. The committee headed by eminent academician V C Kulandaisamy has indicated that at least 150 colleges in the state might qualify to be upgraded as unitary universities when judged on the basis of a 10-point evaluation scale framed by it.
The recommendation draws heavy inspiration from the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) and Yashpal Committee reports which had fervently advocated the need to create 1500 universities in the country. This is the first state-level attempt to take forward the ideas mooted by the NKC and Yashpal Committee.
The committee constituted in the backdrop of opposition to a government move to upgrade five government colleges including Presidency and Queen Mary’s College, and two aided institutions into unitary universities, has argued that although ever university cannot be a Harvard or Oxford, universities alone would create an atmosphere of enquiry, investigation, seminars and conferences.
Pointing to the need for colleges to break free from the shackles of the British-legacy of university affiliating system, the panel said that affiliated colleges rarely grow beyond being mere tutorial institutions preparing students for undergraduate examinations. Consequently, the focus on postgraduate education and research is skewed.
Upgrading colleges into universities have been experimented successfully in the past with the College of Engineering Guindy (now Anna University); the Veterinary College (TANUVAS) and the Agricultural College (TN Agricultural University).
The report also argued that the UK which had a population of nearly 60 million, far lesser than that of Tamil Nadu, has 125 universities whereas the state had only 53 universitylevel institutions of which 28 were deemed universities.
To begin with government and aided autonomous colleges and a few outstanding institutions which score over 50% on the 10 point scale could be upgraded into unitary universities. The Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education, as the nodal agency, can come up with a model Act for the purpose. To reduce the financial uncertainties, the government may establish the Unitary University Development Fund, like the proposed National Educational Fund, the report added.
Courtesy: Times of India
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