27-05-2025
Tamil Nadu varsities told to focus on faculty development and placement improvement
Tamil Nadu universities will receive ₹200 crore to develop plans to improve the performance of permanent faculty in government colleges, Higher Education Secretary C. Samayamoorthy told the Registrars of universities at a recent review meeting here.
Registrars must ensure that permanent faculty in government colleges participate in development programmes under 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme, he told the university officials. The Registrars must device plans to improve the performance of the government college teachers and the teachers' incentive will depend on their performance, the secretary said. The Director of Collegiate Education must ensure that all faculty attend the development programme.
The instruction came during a review meeting of placements under 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme with university Registrars earlier this month. Some universities had shown poor placement under the scheme. He said the officials should identify employment sectors in regions surrounding the universities and its affiliated colleges. Colleges must be instructed to train students in those sectors and improve placement.
Mr. Samayamoorthy said university officials could hold video conferences with college placement officers and conduct meetings with controllers of examination.
The onus is on Registrars to ensure that students are given proper guidance on employment, internships, higher studies and research. The university officials have been urged to identify students with arrears in fifth and sixth semesters and enable them clear their arrears in the subsequent attempt so that they get placed.
Mr. Samayamoorthy mooted the idea of filling 30% of faculty posts in universities with retired and emeritus professors. The agenda would be placed before the Syndicates for its approval, he said.
Universities have been advised to acquire the software that Anna University uses to provide affiliation to colleges and for Ph.D registration. It is proposed to create a common online portal for Ph.D registration and a centralised entrance examination will be conducted for Ph. D courses. Universities have been instructed to ensure that all Ph. D theses are translated into Tamil.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Collegiate Education instructed Registrars to use funds available in Chief Minister's Research Fund (CMRF) instead from the universities. Institutions must share the prospective list of research projects as well, the commissioner said.
Fee increase
All State universities except Anna University, will publish end-semester results by June 15 and the academic year will open for colleges on July 1. The decision was made at a meeting of State University Registrars held earlier this month.
Universities have been permitted to revise fees by less than 20% and increase the fee for arrear examinations. Each department will fix a target to generate revenue. Universities have been encouraged to create merchandise, such as mugs, t-shirts, and caps, featuring their logo and the name of their founder or leader after whom the university is named.
