‘At least 100 govt school kids will crack NEET’

CHENNAI: At least 100 government school students will qualify in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) this year, assured School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan, speaking at a debate in the State Assembly on Thursday. He said 7,500 students are currently being trained for the exam by the government and a creamy layer of students shortlisted, will undergo residential training programme after public exams. “They will undergo an intense 35-day training with all expenses paid,” he said.

He added that students had to be well-versed only with the revamped higher secondary State board syllabus. “Experts have analysed our syllabus and concluded that 75% of the questions asked in NEET can be cleared by knowing our revamped syllabus alone,” he said. He was responding to a question posed by JL Eswarappan, DMK’s MLA from Arcot constituency, about the inability of any government student to obtain an MBBS seat after the introduction of NEET. Sengottaiyan further argued that children who go to private schools, get far more sophisticated training from private institutions for NEET. “We cannot ignore that there is a difference in the support available to government and private school students,” he said.

Centre for traditional sports to be set up: Min
Chennai: School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan announced in the Assembly on Thursday that a centre for traditional and adventure sports such as archery, rock climbing and rowing, will be set up at a cost of Rs 2.97 crore.

CM defends public exams for classes 5 & 8
Chennai: Even as his government cancelled public exams for classes 5 and 8, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami defended the public exams, in the Assembly on Thursday. “Students will stop being nervous about competitive exams only if they are used to taking them. For students from government schools, public exams are the only exposure to exams,” he said responding to DMK MLA JL Eswarappan, who charged that government school students do not understand basic concepts.

69% quota for Anna Institute of Eminence
Chennai: Even after Anna Institute of Eminence is bifurcated from Anna University, both institutions will continue to follow State government’s 69 per cent reservation policy, said Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan, during a debate in the Assembly on Thursday. “The reservation scheme will never be tampered with,” he said responding to questions posed by S Vijayadharani. Higher education department had, however, already issued a clarification to this effect in December 2019.

Merger of college shifts won’t hit jobs: Minister
Chennai: Faculty employment will not be affected by merging two shifts in government arts and science colleges, said Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan, during a debate in the Assembly on Thursday. Higher education department has planned to combine the morning and evening shift in order to reduce traffic during office hours. Anbalagan was responding to questions by S Vijayadharani. She said part-time faculty members from the second shift fear they may lose their jobs due to the decision.

Higher education dept announcements

Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan made several announcements for his department on Thursday

• Provision of leased line internet facility with 100 Mbps will be introduced in 23 government polytechnic colleges
• Facilitation Centre for Women Safety will be established on Madras University campus at a cost of Rs 1.5 cr
• Documents, books and other material will be mended and scanned by Tamil Nadu Archives. The existing building of Tamil Nadu Archives will be conserved and restored
• An office of Regional Joint Director of Technical Education will be established in Madurai
• Heritage buildings in Government Arts College at Udhagamandalam and HH The Rajah’s College, Pudukottai will be conserved and restored
• CCTV facilities will be installed in college campuses at a budget of Rs 2.50 cr
• Rs 16 cr granted for infrastructure development of government arts and science colleges
• Rs 20 cr has been granted to Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, for infrastructure development
• A botanical garden for conserving plants endangered from habitat destruction will be established at Bharathiar University at a cost of Rs 1 cr