T.N. government actively pursuing V-C appointment issue in courts, Higher Education Minister tells Assembly

The Tamil Nadu government has been taking all necessary steps to find a solution to the impasse over appointment of Vice-Chancellors to State-run universities, which would protect the rights of the State, Higher Education Minister P. Viswanathan told the Assembly on Monday.

Taking part in the debate on the Demand for Grants for the Higher Education Department, Mr. Viswanathan said the issue had been caught up in litigation at the Madras High Court and the government was taking all measures, legally and administratively, to pursue this. “We are committed to finding a solution, and this issue is part of the vision document of this government,” he emphasised. Twelve out of 13 universities in the State, with the exception of Mother Teresa Women’s University, had been functioning without Vice-Chancellors for several years, the latest to add to the list being Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and Alagappa University.

Later, presenting the Demand for Grants for his department, Mr. Viswanathan announced that the government would implement a Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for teachers of government-aided arts and science colleges, government and government-aided engineering colleges, and polytechnic colleges from September 1, with prospective effect.

This has been a long-standing issue for the department, with teachers of government-aided colleges staging multiple agitations demanding the implementation of CAS in the past years. In yet another announcement involving teachers, the Minister announced that the government would take steps to fill the existing 6,000-plus vacancies in government arts and science and technical institutions through the Teachers’ Recruitment Board in three phases. Besides, the ongoing process of recruitment of 2,708 assistant professors to government arts and science colleges will be completed soon. The honorarium of guest lecturers in government arts and science and technology institutions has also been raised from ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 with immediate effect, while guest lecturers in polytechnic colleges will get ₹30,000, up from ₹25,000.

Mr. Viswanathan also announced the setting up of the Periyar Institute of Emerging Technologies (PIET). To be set up at Anna University, it will offer courses on artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, climate technology, space technology, and cyber security in the first phase. The government will also enact a separate law to set up a School of Excellence for education and research in basic sciences.

The department has allocated ₹1,000 crore to develop infrastructure in colleges as part of the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Kalluri Membattu Thittam in addition to constructing 2,000 hostels across the State, as announced in the State Budget. Also, ₹8.1 crore has been allocated towards purchase of laboratory consumables, chemicals, beakers, and other glass vessels, and carrying out small repairs.

At least 10 government colleges with accreditation will be upgraded to autonomous colleges while four colleges will be upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 category. The government has tied up with nationalised banks to offer collateral-free loans of up to ₹20 lakh to students as part of the Education Guarantee Scheme, he added.