The State may boast of its oldest colleges in the country but it did not help them garner funds to maintain their heritage. Of the five colleges that applied for funds under a scheme for special heritage status to the University Grants Commission, only one – St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchi, succeeded.
The colleges that applied include Pachaiyappa’s, Queen Mary’s and Madras Christian College from Chennai; Voorhees College in Vellore; and American College in Madurai. It came as a surprise that the MCC, established before St. Joseph’s, had also been denied permission.
According to a notice issued by the UGC, none of these colleges, which have crossed 100 years or more merited financial support.
St. Joseph’s College in Tiruchi has received Rs.1.67 crore to extend its existing museum and herbarium building; conduct a six-month certificate course and a one-year diploma course on heritage conservation; and do a research survey.
Only St. Joseph College of Tiruchi got UGC funds to extend it museum
