Latest news with #BishopHeberCollege
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
National SC Commission asks State to submit report on implementation of reservation in minority educational institutions
As the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has decided to investigate the process of reservation being implemented in employment and college admission in aided minority State educational institutions through a statement dated May 13, 2025, S. Karuppaiah, president of Dalit Liberation Movement – TN, said that the decision of the commission to inquire into the matter has exposed how the basic norms were being ignored. He said that Tamil Nadu which has about 1,112 colleges and 3,000 schools designated as minority institutions, were funded by the Tamil Nadu government. The minority institutions helped empower minorities who were found to be behind other communities in aspects like education and financial stability. They played a significant role in providing opportunities for minorities in the realm of academia, Mr. Karuppaiah stated. 'While their role in empowering minorities was not to be denied, the question remains as to how far the rules framed for the employment and admission to these institutions are being followed,' he pointed out. Also, as the institutions were funded by the Tamil Nadu government, the reservation meant for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should be implemented in both admission and employment, he said. But, looking at the institutions' data, it was evident that the reservation was not being implemented in a proper manner, he alleged. 'In Madurai colleges like Arul Anandar College at Karumathur known as a minority educational institution, reservations are hardly followed both in employment and students' admission,' he said. Of the 64 teaching staff in the aided category, only one staff was from SC and of the 32 non-teaching staff, only six were from SC and of the 2,776 students, only 14% were SCs, he alleged. Similarly in Bishop Heber College in Tiruchi, which was also a minority educational institution, reservation was hardly followed, Mr. Karuppaiah alleged. While the National Minorities Commission has clearly stated that the minority educational institutions should enrol about 50% of the students' strength from the minority religion, that too was rarely followed by the institutions, he observed. Taking note of the complaints, National Commission for SC has penned a letter to The Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu government and the Principal Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department of Tamil Nadu, stating that the government should submit the facts and information on the implementation of reservation in employment and college admissions in Arul Anandar College and Bishop Heber College and other aided minority educational institutions within 15 days from the date of the letter.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Conservation programme targets endangered Syzygium alternifolium tree species
Students and teachers from local government schools in Malaiyur Hills, Madurai District, recently participated in an outdoor nature conservation education programme at GREENS Biodiversity Sanctuary in Tiruchi as part of an awareness drive to learn more about conserving Syzygium alternifolium , an endemic and endangered tree species of the Eastern Ghats. The programme was jointly organised by GREENS and the Department of Botany, Bishop Heber College, in an integrated conservation partnership with Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI), Kew, UK, from April 27 to 28. Department of Botany head V. Anand Gideon, assistant professor Immanuel Sagayaraj, and Alexander Amirtham, Executive Director of GREENS Biodiversity Sanctuary, led the various activities that included arboretum and pollinator garden walks, tropical dry evergreen forest exploration and talks on ecological awareness. 'Syzygium alternifolium [of the family Myrtaceae] is endemic to southern Eastern Ghats and located only in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Over 40 types of pollinators are associated with this tree. It flowers once in three years, so seed collection is a long-drawn process. Moth larvae tend to feed on the seeds extensively,' Alexander Amirtham, founder and executive director of GREENS, told The Hindu. The programme concluded with student commitment to act as conservation ambassadors by identifying and protecting Syzygium alternifolium in their native lands, raising nurseries, and educating their communities. 'Botany students from our college will follow this up with data collection on a periodic basis from the sites in Malaiyur Hills,' said Mr. Gideon.
