‘Tamil Nadu ahead of global average in higher education’

Presiding over the 14th convocation of Tiruvalluvar university at Serkadu, he said that consistent efforts by the ruling dispensation resulted in the higher education enrolment being far above the national average, he added.

While the national enrolment percentage for men was 26.3 per cent, in TN it was 42.1 per cent, the Minister said. Similarly, the enrolment for women, which stood at 25.4 per cent nationally, was 42.5 per cent in Tamil Nadu, he added.

Enrolment of tribal students was 15.9 per cent nationally but was a whopping 40.5 per cent here, he said. He further added that the Centre was making effort to increase India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio from the current 25.8 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020.

The reason for higher education being at such high levels in TN was due to the government starting new colleges, he said and added that in 2017-18 the government started eight arts and science colleges, three university constituent colleges and five polytechnics.

While there were 903 universities, 39,050 colleges and 10,011 private educational institutes nationally, Tamil Nadu alone had 58 universities, 2,472 colleges, 21 arts colleges, 16 government polytechnic institutions, four government engineering colleges and 24 constituent colleges being started in the last seven years, he added.

The Minister lauded the university for developing a herbal garden and using herbs from it to develop a mosquito coil which was being used in the campus. He added that the State has sanctioned Rs 11.70 crore subsidy for the university for 2018-19.

Meanwhile, Governor Banwarilal Purohit handed over degrees to 30,737 undergraduates 305 PGs and 1,696 MPhil students at the convocation.