Professor Kankanala Rathnaiah, vice-chancellor of the Dravidian University, met Chief Minister N Rangasamy here on Monday and sought financial assistance for starting comparative studies and research in languages of the southern States and research on poet Bharathidasan.
Prof Rathnaiah, after the meeting with the Chief Minister, told Express that the proposals for starting the new programmes had been submitted to the Chief Minister, and he was also briefed on it.
The Vice-chancellor said the Chief Minister had expressed interest in the new programmes to be started by the university and had said he would make efforts to avail of funds for the same after holding discussions with the officials of the administration.
The Vice-chancellor also met Minister T Thiagarajan and government whip G Nehru. Prof Rathnaiah said the university, which is conducting courses in five Dravidian languages, offers 10 per cent reservation for students from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
He also revealed plans to set up a world class library, exclusively for Dravidian languages.
Prof Rathnaiah also said he would meet Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and seek assistance for starting new research-oriented programmes in the university.
The university, set up in 1997, is situated in Srinivasavanam, Kuppam in Chittoor district and is engaged in advanced studies and research in the integrated body of Dravidian linguistics and cultural heritage.