Coimbatore, Nov. 26
“The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of Tamil Nadu at 44.3 per cent is almost double that of the national figure of 25.3. While the contribution of self-financing colleges in this achievement has to be admired for, it is also important to reflect and judge whether we are on the right path,” Sunil Paliwal, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, said here on Saturday.
Inaugurating a State-level conference on ‘Challenges in Higher Education for the Next Triennium’, organised by the Association of Self-Financing Arts, Science and Management Colleges of Tamil Nadu (ASFASM), he expressed concern that if the GER increased then generating jobs would become a challenge. At the present there are only two million jobs for six million graduates.
Pointing out that the country had developed a lot in the field of education since 1947, he said that today India could boast of 800 universities and 40,000 colleges. Tamil Nadu had 53 universities, out of which 29 were deemed, two central, and 22 were State-run.
“Out of the 750 arts and science colleges, 91 are Government-run, 162 are Government-aided and the rest are self-financing. Also, out of the 500 engineering colleges, 10 are Government-run, while three are aided and the rest are self financing,” Mr. Paliwal added.
B.S. Ponmudiraj, Deputy Advisor and Co-ordinator, Northern Region - NAAC, Bengaluru, said that Government, aided, constituent, and self-financing colleges, all had an equal role in nation building. Hence it was only right that teachers of the self-financing colleges too should be able to be part of the training programmes that were accessible to faculty from other colleges.
“UGC has taken a decision that faculty of self-financing colleges too will participate in these programmes run by Human Resource Development Centres, formerly the UGC Academic Staff Colleges. It is imperative that the self-financing college managements allow them to be spared for 21 days,” he added.
“Sadly, colleges do not come in time for accreditation renewals. So, out of the 735 accredited colleges in TN, only 603 have valid accreditation, and out of the 41 accredited universities, only 39 have valid accreditation,” he lamented.
A.M.M. Khaleel, President, ASFASM, urged the Government to enable members of self-financing colleges to get representation in the university Syndicates. He called for regular updating of syllabus. He brought out the discrepancy between the eligibility criterion for faculty in arts and science colleges, and engineering colleges, and said that now it was a Ph.D. with NET/SLET when earlier an M.Phil. with PG would do.
Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Secretary of ASFASM Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan said that the contribution of the self-financing colleges to higher education could not be ignored.
Sudhanshu Bhushan, Professor, National University Educational Planning Administration, New Delhi, spoke, and Dr. S.N.S. Subramaniam, Vice-President, ASFASM, proposed a vote of thanks.
Later in the day, the association gave away awards, instituted for the first time for college administrators. As many as 15 awards were given away to a chairman, secretary, three principals, and 10 faculty members.
The lifetime achievement award for chairman went to K.V. Kuppasamy, Chairman of RVS Educational Trust. The lifetime achievement award for secretary went to S.D. Chandrasekar, Secretary of Vellalar Educational Trust, and the three principals who received awards were, N. Rajkumar of VLB Janakiammal College of Arts and Science, S. Sumayaa of Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College for Women, and R.W. Alexander Jesudasan of Madras Christian College.
“The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of Tamil Nadu at 44.3 per cent is almost double that of the national figure of 25.3. While the contribution of self-financing colleges in this achievement has to be admired for, it is also important to reflect and judge whether we are on the right path,” Sunil Paliwal, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, said here on Saturday.
Inaugurating a State-level conference on ‘Challenges in Higher Education for the Next Triennium’, organised by the Association of Self-Financing Arts, Science and Management Colleges of Tamil Nadu (ASFASM), he expressed concern that if the GER increased then generating jobs would become a challenge. At the present there are only two million jobs for six million graduates.
Pointing out that the country had developed a lot in the field of education since 1947, he said that today India could boast of 800 universities and 40,000 colleges. Tamil Nadu had 53 universities, out of which 29 were deemed, two central, and 22 were State-run.
“Out of the 750 arts and science colleges, 91 are Government-run, 162 are Government-aided and the rest are self-financing. Also, out of the 500 engineering colleges, 10 are Government-run, while three are aided and the rest are self financing,” Mr. Paliwal added.
B.S. Ponmudiraj, Deputy Advisor and Co-ordinator, Northern Region - NAAC, Bengaluru, said that Government, aided, constituent, and self-financing colleges, all had an equal role in nation building. Hence it was only right that teachers of the self-financing colleges too should be able to be part of the training programmes that were accessible to faculty from other colleges.
“UGC has taken a decision that faculty of self-financing colleges too will participate in these programmes run by Human Resource Development Centres, formerly the UGC Academic Staff Colleges. It is imperative that the self-financing college managements allow them to be spared for 21 days,” he added.
“Sadly, colleges do not come in time for accreditation renewals. So, out of the 735 accredited colleges in TN, only 603 have valid accreditation, and out of the 41 accredited universities, only 39 have valid accreditation,” he lamented.
A.M.M. Khaleel, President, ASFASM, urged the Government to enable members of self-financing colleges to get representation in the university Syndicates. He called for regular updating of syllabus. He brought out the discrepancy between the eligibility criterion for faculty in arts and science colleges, and engineering colleges, and said that now it was a Ph.D. with NET/SLET when earlier an M.Phil. with PG would do.
Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Secretary of ASFASM Ajeet Kumar Lal Mohan said that the contribution of the self-financing colleges to higher education could not be ignored.
Sudhanshu Bhushan, Professor, National University Educational Planning Administration, New Delhi, spoke, and Dr. S.N.S. Subramaniam, Vice-President, ASFASM, proposed a vote of thanks.
Later in the day, the association gave away awards, instituted for the first time for college administrators. As many as 15 awards were given away to a chairman, secretary, three principals, and 10 faculty members.
The lifetime achievement award for chairman went to K.V. Kuppasamy, Chairman of RVS Educational Trust. The lifetime achievement award for secretary went to S.D. Chandrasekar, Secretary of Vellalar Educational Trust, and the three principals who received awards were, N. Rajkumar of VLB Janakiammal College of Arts and Science, S. Sumayaa of Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College for Women, and R.W. Alexander Jesudasan of Madras Christian College.