MADURAI: The Principal secretary of school education department B Chandra Mohan has directed all district collectors to establish district-level control rooms by June 5 and ensure 100 per cent enrolment of students in higher education/technical institutions. The initiative was first implemented last year.
In his communication, Chandra Mohan said the control rooms must be headed by an officer in the rank of deputy collector, and the programme conducted from June to October 2026. It should cover all 5,44,540 students who enrolled in Class XII during the 2025-26 academic year, including 3,55,046 students from government schools and 1,89,494 students from government-aided schools.
According to sources, officials in the district-level control rooms would use EMIS data to trace students who have not applied for higher education, failed or missed board examinations, or have not registered for supplementary examinations and take efforts to remove the impediments that prevent them from pursuing higher education.
Each district-level team would comprise 15 members including officials from education, revenue, police, health and welfare departments. They would provide counselling, certificate support, scholarship assistance, admission guidance and financial aid facilitation. Special focus will be given to vulnerable groups, including students from SC/ST communities, children without parental support, students with special needs, refugees, single-parent families, sports quota candidates and vocational stream students.
The school education department would establish a state-level control room from where student admissions would be monitored, vacancies in colleges and polytechnic institutions tracked, and district authorities would be guided accordingly.
District Collectors have to hold special student grievances day every fortnight to resolve admission-related issues and facilitate spot admissions, the communication states. Weekly reports regarding admission statues have to be submitted to the state-level control room, it added.
