The government will set up two engineering, seven polytechnic and 11 arts and science colleges in small towns in the current academic year, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Assembly on Thursday.
Making a suo motu statement, she said the colleges would fulfil the dreams of rural students keen on pursuing higher and technical education. “This will result in employment opportunities and ameliorate their economic and living conditions.”
She said that the engineering colleges would come up at Chengipatti in Thanjavur district and Chettikarai panchayat in Dharmapuri district. The polytechnic colleges would be set up at Srirangam in Tiruchi district, Gandharvakottai in Pudukottai district, Sankarapuram in Villupuram district, Perundurai in Erode district, Ariyalur in Ariyalur district, Uthangarai in Krishnagiri district and Jolarpet in Vellore district.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said that the arts and sciences colleges would be started as constituent colleges of the universities in those regions. These co-education colleges would be set up at Edapadi in Salem district, Kanyakumari in Kanyakumari district, Vedasandur in Dindigul district, Modakurichi in Erode district, Tirumangalam in Madurai district, Tiruvottiyur in Tiruvallur district, Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district, Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district, Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district, Nagapattinam in Nagapattinam district and Arakkonam in Vellore district.
She said that growth of higher and technical education alone would pave the way for innovation and research which, in turn, would ensure development.
The AIADMK government had unveiled many schemes to ensure that poor students, especially those from rural areas, continued to pursue higher education after schooling.
It started 11 arts and science colleges as constituent colleges of local universities in 2011-12, besides a government engineering college at Bodinayakanur in Theni district.
