COIMBATORE: Bharathiar University has directed all its affiliated colleges to hold Tamil classes six hours weekly for second-year undergraduate students in the upcoming academic year.
University Registrar Rupa Gunaseelan sent a letter regarding this to all affiliated arts and science colleges located in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, and Nilgiris districts.
Professors from the Tamil Department welcomed this move.
Earlier, teaching staff from the Tamil departments of private colleges had submitted a petition requesting that six hours weekly be ensured for Tamil classes.
An assistant professor of the Tamil department in a private college in Coimbatore city told TNIE that state-run universities introduced Tamil classes for second-year students in the 2023-24 academic year.
"Bharathiar University introduced Tamil in undergraduate courses of B.Com and B.Sc Computer Science in the second year in its affiliated colleges. As per the higher education department's direction, six hours should be allocated for Tamil for second-year students. But the university allocated only four hours with the approval of the Board of Studies, and the remaining two hours were used for Naan Mudhalvan skill courses. Due to this, the teaching faculty were unable to complete the portions for second-year students," he recalled.
"The university has now allocated six hours for second-year Tamil classes by giving necessary instructions to the colleges," he said, citing the request of teachers.
Sources say colleges have been asked to conduct skill courses during evening hours as per each college's schedule.