Rs 500 crore allocated for 10 universities each to turn into world class institutions

Chennai: “As per the announcement in the Union Budget, 10 universities from all over the country will get Rs 500 crore each to turn them into world class ones,” said H.Devaraj, vice-chairman, University Grants Commission, on Friday. He was delivering the sixth annual convocation address at the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University.

The “UGC has got the responsibility of identifying the universities under the scheme,” he said. “At least three universities from Tamil Nadu has the potential to be selected under this scheme. Anna University, University of Madras and Madurai Kamaraj University have got the potential for excellence,” he said. He urged the universities to have good human resource instead of facilities like air conditioned rooms.

Higher education minister and pro-chancellor of the university P.Palaniappan said, “In the last five years, higher education enrollment ratio in the state increased from 18 per cent to 44 per cent while the national ratio went up from 15 per cent to 23 per cent only.”

Governor K.Rosaiah gave away the degrees and medals. For the first time, two students got Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Totally 77,900 students, including 74,023 students got their B.Ed degrees.