AU spat with State govt may delay its IOE status

Before receiving IOE status for Anna University, Tamil Nadu government is planning to bifurcate the institution to carry out more research activities in connection with higher education.

Accordingly, in December last, the State government constituted a committee comprising five ministers and three IAS officers as members to investigate the possibility of splitting the university into two.

At the first meeting of the committee, which was held on December, meeting had decided to prevail upon the Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) to issue IOE status for the Anna University quickly since it was pending for a long period.

However, sources from Anna University said that the government move to get IOE status for the institution is moving at a snail phase. A senior official from Anna University, seeking anonymity, told DT Next that the despite several pleas from institution’s Vice Chancellor M K Surappa to the Higher Education Department, the government did not heed to his request.

“Even our Vice Chancellor visited the Secretariat several times but there was no proper response from the government,” he said adding “The main issue is that the existence of 69 per cent reservation in the University.”

Stating that if IOE status has been attained, the reservation aspects in the University will be changed, the university staff said the State government should go further and take up the matter with MHRD for getting IOE status very soon since the new academic year is just two to three months away.

Former Vice Chancellor of Anna University E Balagurusamy pointed out that IOE status for the University is a long pending one. “Once the university gets IOE status from MHRD, the faculties can concentrate more on affiliated colleges due to bifurcation.

“Bifurcating the University will make the University take up more research activities that would benefit the students,” he said.