The State government plans to set up a centre of excellence in Sports in Tiruchi and Salem, and a Centre of Excellence in Academics in Coimbatore and Tirunelveli. These centres will be set up at one school in both districts, V.M. Rajalakshmi, Minister for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, said.
“These Centres will be set up as a first step to enable students in hostels and residential schools run by the Adi Dravidar Department to develop their skills in these areas,” she said, while making the announcements for the department during the debate on the demand for grants.
A sum of ₹25 lakh for each of these centres will be provided to upgrade the infrastructure facilities, she said.
The government will also help people from Adi Dravidar community living in various districts to earn a living according to their skills and will unveil a Self Help Group Economic enhancement scheme, entrepreneurs’ scheme, land enhancement scheme, a scheme for youngsters to set up their own businesses among other such schemes. The government will spend ₹10 crore for this purpose, she said.
Fall in admission
Students studying in schools run by Adi Dravidar department move to other government schools in the city and hence there was a dip in the enrolments, the minster said.
Her intervention came after DMK MLA Thayagam Kavi said the student enrolment numbers in these schools were falling every year and the pass percentage too of students in these schools had come down.