CHENNAI: Nearly four decades after Anna University was set up, it is at the cusp of breaking into two, in order to earn the Institute of Eminence (IoE) status. While one part will earn the IoE status, the other will continue to provide affiliations to colleges across the State.
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to constitute a high-level committee comprising of top State minsters to study its bifurcation into Anna Institute of Eminence and Anna University. Ironically, the committee to overlook the higher education institution's division does not have even one academician.
An IoE will not be able to offer affiliations to other colleges, therefore the government has decided to split the varsity. Following a cabinet meeting on November 19, it has directed the committee to study the bifurcation, amend the Anna University Act 1978 and enhancing a new Act respectively.
The committee comprises of five State ministers, including School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan, Minister for Electricity P Thangamani, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, Minister for Law C Ve Shanmugam and Higher Education Minsiter KP Anbalagan. The order said that the committee could also include the Principal Secretary to the Government, Finance (Expenditure) Department, Secretary to the Government, Law Department and Principal Secretary to the Government, Higher Education Department. However, no member of this committee is an academician privy to the administration of the varsity.
Speaking to Express, MK Surappa, the Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, said, "It is the prerogative of the government to set-up a committee. However, in the past, the lack of proper planning during merger of the four campuses in Chennai and setting up of the 14 campuses across the State has created a lot of deficiency of infrastructure in the constituent colleges," he said.
He added that this bifurcation should be carried out very carefully using recommendations from academicians privy to the administration of the varsity.
Mangat Ram Sharma, principal secretary to the Higher Education Department was unavailable for comments.