Students of Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI), Tuticorin, which is affiliated to Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (TNFU), raised objection to the introduction of Bachelor of Fisheries Science (B.F.Sc) course at Annamalai University, Chidambaram. Condemning this, the students of FCRI staged dharna in front of the Institute here on Friday.
Tamil Nadu Fisheries University was established by the State government at Nagapattinam exclusively for courses in Fisheries development and its allied activities.
As per Tamil Nadu Fisheries University Act, 2012 only colleges affiliated to TNFU were allowed to offer B. FSc. Courses. But, the move by the Annamalai University to offer such a course was shocking, a student, who took part in the dharna, said. There was a recent notification that applications for this course to be offered by the Annamalai University could be downloaded on October 22, the date of counselling and admission on October 26 and classes would commence on October 28.
While several students hailing from poor economic background studied hard, took pains and got admission to FCRI in Tuticorin with cut off marks specified by the government on a par with studies of medicine, the sudden introduction of such a course by the non-affiliated institute would pave way for commercialising education and there would be a lapse in quality, he said.
