Eighteen new community colleges have been approved by Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) taking the number of such colleges in the State affiliated to TNOU to 167.
Briefing reporters on the outcome of a Syndicate meeting held by TNOU on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor Kalyani Anbuchelvan said they would also consider giving community college status to vocational programme centres if they came forward.
At present there are 244 such centres providing diploma courses offered by TNOU.
Since these diploma courses were also being offered by community colleges, the university plans to close down those centres which do not apply for community college status as the same courses are being offered through two channels.
The Syndicate also approved a plan to provide 25 per cent waiver to students taking up Tamil in undergraduate or postgraduate level and 50 per cent fee waiver for students taking up degree and diploma courses simultaneously.
The Vice-Chancellor said a lesson in Classical Tamil had been incorporated in its textbook making it the first university to follow the Chief Minister's suggestion at the World Classical Tamil meet.
