Possibly accelerating the process of Tamil Nadu’s Anna University in getting the tag of ‘Institution of Eminence’ (IoE), the central government has stated that the university will get to maintain the existing reservation policy that it follows for admissions in future also. The clarification comes after the university wrote to the Government of India seeking clarity on the reservation system upon receiving the IoE tag.
According to reports, the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) had issued a notification stating that institutions conferred with the IoE tag shall follow 49.5% reservation in admissions. However, Anna University, Tamil Nadu’s premier public university in charge of technical education in the state, currently follows the state’s policy of allocating 69% reservation system for admission to its courses. The MHRD, in a letter sent to the university last week, made the clarification about the reservation policy. This has quickened the process of the university receiving its IoE tag from the MHRD.
Now, the only major issue remaining between Anna University and the IoE status is the state government’s Letter of Commitment related to funding. The university has also submitted its funding requirements for the next five years -- Rs 2570 crore -- to the central government to attain the IoE status. Anna University will also remain a state university after receiving the IoE status, as per the reports.
Anna University was the only public university from Tamil Nadu to be chosen for the IoE tag by the MHRD. However, the status was contingent upon the state government’s approval. The other two institutions of higher education that were picked from Tamil Nadu were Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. VIT received its IoE status a few months ago.
The tag of ‘Institution of Eminence’ comes with financial support for research and infrastructure in the selected institutions. The IoE status will also grant financial autonomy and independence in decisions related to fees and faculty hiring. A grant of Rs 1,000 crore is expected to be given for public institutions over a 5-year period.