Welcoming the recent decision of Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) to admit students in arts and science colleges through Single Window System (SWS) as a progressive scheme, Association of University Teachers (AUT) has come out with a set of suggestions for effective implementation.
The TANSCHE had decided that students at the PG level will be admitted through SWS initially. Subsequently, the method of admission will be extended to UG level in a phased manner.
According to the AUT, admission through SWS for 100 per cent seats in government colleges, 90 per cent seats in government-aided colleges and at least 50 per cent seats in the unaided colleges, will go a long way in protecting and sustaining the public-funded educational system in Tamil Nadu. The step was sure to safeguard gullible parents, students and teachers from the menace of capitation fee and commercialisation of higher education.
In a representation to the Chief Minister, AUT State president K. Pandiyan said there were academic, administrative and legal issues involved and hence the SWS needs to be justified legally by constituting a committee to prove violation of government rules and regulations in the aspects of reservation and excess fee collection.
Section 9(5) of the Rules of Tamil Nadu Private Colleges Regulation Act 1976 should be suitably amended, and a statutory committee to decide students’ admission in arts and science colleges must be created.
Admissions into every discipline must be made simultaneously, and provisions must be made for admission of students irrespective of university jurisdictions.
The representation called for a uniform calendar for conduct of examinations and publication of results in all State universities and autonomous colleges.
The fee structure of arts and science colleges must be reviewed by a committee. Varying fee structure could be fixed for students in aided and unaided colleges, and unaided courses in aided colleges.
The government should consider the fact that aided colleges utilise infrastructure developed with public funds to run unaided courses, the representation said.
