The government of Tamil Nadu has emphasised that the state reservation quota be continued as is in Anna University even after it is granted the Institution of Eminence (IoE) tag by the Government of India.
Speaking to reporters, Mangatram Sharma, Secretary, Higher Education department of Tamil Nadu said that the state government has written a recommendation letter to the Centre to bestow the status of IoE to Anna University. “..In the meeting convened by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, we had a doubt if the number of Tamil Nadu students admitted into Anna University will come down due to this status. Some people are unnecessarily scared that if the IoE status is granted, then Anna University will become a Central University. It is not like that,” he said.
The department has also sought clarity on whether the institute will continue to be under the control of the state government and if the state reservation quota will be retained in admissions. We have written to the Government of India asking for these clarifications. Once we get a reply, we will decide on the IoE tag, he said.
The MHRD had, in the first week of August, written to the government of Tamil Nadu seeking a letter of commitment from the latter. The Ministry had also granted a week’s time for the state government to decide on the allotment of state’s share of funds. However, the state government had not responded to the letter. MK Surappa, the Vice Chancellor of the University had also written to the state government, requesting them to issue the letter on priority basis. Anna University, Tamil Nadu’s state university for technical education, is the only public-funded university from Tamil Nadu to be considered for the IoE tag. The other two universities are Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) of which VIT has already been granted the IoE status. The MHRD had indicated that it would consider Anna University for IoE status based on the recommendation by the state government.
The IoE status comes with financial support for infrastructure and research in selected institutions. IoE status will also entail financial autonomy and independence in decisions related to fees and faculty hiring. A grant of Rs 1,000 crore is anticipated for public institutions over a 5-year period.