The atmosphere in Villupuram is conducive to establishing a university, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy said while speaking at the annual day of Arignar Anna Government Arts College here on Sunday.
Mr. Ponmudy said Villupuram district has become an educationally advanced district, thanks to the initiative taken by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
It could now boast of two government engineering colleges affiliated to Anna University-Madras. A government medical college was getting ready and may admit the first batch of 100 students from the coming academic year.
Mr. Karunanidhi had announced the starting of a government arts college at Thiruvennainallur and a polytechnic college at Arakandanallur. Conceding the Minister's demand made during his recent visit to Villupuram, Mr. Karunanidhi had announced the starting of a postgraduate extension centre of Thiruvalluvar University here.
Mr. Ponmudy said that this would be a precursor to starting a university in Villupuram. The government engineering colleges at Villupuram and Tindivanam would be getting their own buildings by the next academic year.
The Minister said that women students outnumbered men in the Villupuram government arts college.
Mr. Ponmudy said that in the past two years, a sum of Rs. 2.45 crore had been spent on creating infrastructure in the government arts college here. Started in 1968, the student strength remained at 1,200 till 1988 but now it had gone up to 2,962.
As many as 50 lecturers were appointed to the college in the past two years and the introduction of shift system had created higher education opportunity to thousands of candidates in the region.
Mr. Ponmudy said that efforts would be taken to set up libraries and fill the physical director posts in the colleges from next year.
He distributed awards to meritorious students and winners of various competitions.
Registrar of Thiruvalluvar University Krishnamurthy said that the setting up of the PG extension centre would be a precursor to starting university as was witnessed at Tiruchi, Coimbatore and Vellore.
