CHENNAI: Starting this year, government colleges in the State will follow a shift system to meet the increasing demand for quality higher education.

It will be introduced in ten colleges this year and extended to other colleges next year, Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudi told the Assembly on Friday in his reply to the debate on the demand for grants for his Ministry.

The ten colleges are Quaid-e-Milleth Women's College, Chennai; Arts College for Men, Nandanam, Chennai; Presidency College, Chennai; Dr Ambedkar Arts College, Vyasarpadi, Chennai; Aringnar Anna College, Villupuram; Rani Anna Women's Arts College, Tirunelveli; Kundavai Nachiyar Women's College, Thanjavur; Arts College for Men, Kumbakonam; Arts College for Women, Kumbakonam and Aringnar Anna Arts College, Cheyyar.

While the morning shift would be from 7.30 a.m to 12.30 p.m, the evening shift would be from 1.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. "Even private colleges can apply for permission to introduce the shift system. More teachers will be appointed for the purpose,'' Mr. Ponmudi said.

Technical varsities

Two new technical universities — Anna University, Tiruchi and Anna University, Coimbatore — would be established to reduce the burden of governance of all engineering colleges by the parent university.

The Government was considering bringing all 18 universities in the State under a Common University Act to standardise governance.

An experts committee was examining the issue of scrapping the common entrance test for admission to professional undergraduate courses. A new law was in the offing to regulate admissions, he said.

All colleges in the State would have to seek accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. So far, only 175 out of 670 colleges in the State had done so.

Vacancies in government arts and science colleges, engineering colleges and polytechnics would be filled in four months.

A 34-acre plot belonging to the Highways department would be developed for modern hostels, laboratories and research centres for Anna University at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

A new complex at a cost of Rs 10 crore would be constructed for the Tamil Nadu Open University at Saidapet.

The Physical Education and Sports University would also get a new home on a 125-acre plot at Kelambakkam.

A biotechnology research centre would be established at Anna University to facilitate collaborative research by the TICEL Biotechnology Park, Anna University and Madras University.

The Government would give clearance on priority basis to constituencies willing to set aside a sum of Rs 1 crore and five acres for setting up colleges.

The State Government had written to the Centre to speed up the process of establishing the prestigious National Institute of Science in Chennai, Mr. Ponmudi said.

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