CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, expressing concern over pervasiveness of fake news, called upon students to be aware and steer clear of misinformation.
Speaking at the 175th year celebration of Pachaiyappa’s College here on Friday, he said, “Fake news will be very decorative, but you should not fall into that trap. Social media, WhatsApp, serials and movies divert young minds. So, I urge the youth not to spend their precious hours on these platforms. They should use the Internet, only for gathering important information and should make sure they believe only authentic news.”
The CM said that while the percentage of people opting for higher education in 2011 was 21, it has grown to 46.9% now.
Pachaiyappa’s College was established as “Pachaiyappa’s Central Institution” at Esplanade in the Broadway area of the then Madras on January 1, 1842, with the funds allocated by Vallal Pachaiyappa Mudaliar for charity, as per the contents of his will. In 1856, the institution was shifted to its own premises at China Bazaar. It became a school in 1850 and a college in 1889.
“The Pachaiyappa’s Central Institution was the first non-missionary, non-British-financed, Hindu educational and the first complete Indian institution in South India,” said S Jayachandran, Chairman of the Pachaiyappa’s Trust Board. “In addition, it is the fourth oldest institution in the country and strives hard for the educational uplift of the poor, socially oppressed and the downtrodden.”
Deputy CM O Panneerselvam spoke about the brilliance of the institution, the founder and the illustrious people who studied.
“It is glorious that this institution has completed 175 years,” he said, adding, “Pachaiyappa came from a very poor background and struggled to build this institution so the poor could get educated. People like Srinivasa Ramanujan, Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar, pioneers of the Dravidian movement like EVK Sampath, were among many distinguished people who studied here.” He said in 2017-18, the government allotted `3680.39 crore towards education an in 2018-19, it increased to `4620.20 crore.
Others present at the event included D Jayakumar, Minister for Fisheries and Personnel and Administrative Reforms, K P Anbalagan, Minister for Higher Education, among others.