2% quota for students from vocational courses in TN engg colleges

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to give a 2% horizontal reservation for the students, who pursued vocational courses in the higher secondary schools, to join engineering colleges.

Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy on Monday said that this special quota will be implemented this academic year itself. In a bid to cope with the latest requirements of the industries, the curriculum of all the vocational courses, which were taught in the government higher secondary schools, has been revised recently.

Accordingly, vocational education has been revamped in various aspects like updation of the syllabus, practical training, competency-based evaluation, independent certification by industry, and imparting training of courses based on market demand.

The minister said with the latest changes in the vocational courses for the students, who will be having full practical experience, will have the opportunity to enter into engineering courses, which were offered by Anna University with its department colleges and government colleges with 2% quota.

On the DMK government's proposal of providing a direct cash transfer of Rs 1,000 for every girl student pursuing higher education, Ponmudy said candidates have already started applying for it. He said on the first day itself, the department had received about 15,000 applications.

He said all the applications will be scrutinized and the authorities would be coming out with a final list of beneficiaries. "Chief minister will unveil this scheme likely in July", he added.

In addition, the Higher Education Minister also said that all the colleges including Arts, Science, and Engineering colleges will be opened for the students studying the second year to final year on July 18.