In a major shift in the policy, the Tamil Nadu government today decided to introduce Tamil as medium of instruction in Engineering courses and make spoken English compulsory. The state government has decided to introduce Tamil medium in professional courses as rural students, who studied in Tamil medium are finding it difficult to switch over to English medium, when they take up professional courses.
Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudi said as employment opportunities were purely based on marks scored and proficiency in spoken English considered as an additional qualification, it was decided to introduce Tamil medium and make compulsory, spoken English as a compulsory subject.
To begin with, Tamil medium would be introduced in Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering on an experimental basis in Anna University and 14 of its other affiliated colleges, he said. The Minister, who chaired a meeting with officials and academicians to discuss the issue at the secretariat, made it clear that the government was not attempting to replace English medium with Tamil medium.
Presently, English medium students in Arts and Science courses and those studying in polytechnics are allowed to write their examinations in Tamil. ''Hence we have not removed English medium nor making Tamil medium compulsory,'' Ponmudi said adding the government would create an additional 1,800 seats in Anna University and 14 of its other affiliated colleges to cater to Tamil medium students.
''This will definitely increase the pass percentage of the students,'' he hoped. The government would also introduce Tamil medium in polytechnics for civil and mechanic courses, Ponmudi said.
Asked about reports that former Anna University Vice-Chancellor Ananthakrishnan deciding to opt out from the committee to select Vice-Chancellors, he said the government had not received any details about this. To another question, Ponmudi said most of the self-financing Engineering colleges in the state are not collecting high fees. About ten colleges might collect high fees and the government, like last year, would take stringent action against them.