Tamil Nadu

Cluster college concept will help students: Ponmudy

K. Ponmudy

CHENNAI: State-run arts and science colleges will be linked to engineering colleges and polytechnic institutes to enable students enrol for diploma and certificate courses that will enhance their employability, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy said here on Wednesday.

Speaking to presspersons in a pre-budget consultation meeting held at the University of Madras, the Minister said the government would, as a pilot project, declare six government arts and science colleges a cluster and facilitate students taking a few elective courses of their choice in another college belonging to the same cluster. While the core subjects would have a weightage of 60 per cent, the electives would have 40 per cent. “A student of history could take up an elective in say, tourism. That will make the student more employable,” he said. The cluster college concept would also enable faculty exchange between colleges part of it.

The department would implement the choice-based credit system in the coming academic year.

Besides, they were also considering a thorough curriculum review and revision to update the current syllabus to make it more relevant. The role of placement cells, proposed in the last budget, would be strengthened to ensure students in Arts and Science colleges were exposed to a range of job opportunities.

More attention would be paid to communication skills, Mr. Ponmudy said.