State to reserve 7.5 pc seats for govt students in professional courses

“For several years, owing to socio-economic differences, students from government schools haven’t been able to cope with their counterparts in private institutions. Hence, as was done for medical colleges, the State decided to reserve seats for government school students in all categories of engineering, agriculture, veterinary, fisheries and law colleges,” Chief Minister MK Stalin said after tabling the Bill. 

The Bill is to be called the Tamil Nadu Admission To Undergraduate Professional Courses On A Preferential Basis To Students of Government Schools Act, 2021. According to the Act, students from Classes 6 to those in higher secondary sections in government schools and students of weaker and disadvantaged sections who studied in private schools under Right to Education Act from Class 8-12 will be eligible for the quota. 

Stalin, while listing out the percentage of government school students getting admission in various professional courses in 2020-21, said only 6.31% and 0.44% of government school students got admission in government engineering colleges and in government aided engineering colleges, respectively. In other professional courses such as veterinary studies only 3% of government school students got admission, in fisheries only 3.7% government school students got admission, in agriculture colleges only 4.89% students got admission and in Tamil Nadu National Law University in Tiruchy less than 1% students got admission, he said.