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Thursday, August 27, 2026

‘T.N. government actively pursuing V-C appointment issue in courts’

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai 27.08.2026

The State government has been taking all necessary steps to find a solution to the impasse over appointment of Vice-Chancellors to State-run universities, Higher Education Minister P. Viswanathan told the Assembly recently.

Taking part in the debate on the demand for grants for the Higher Education Department, he said the issue had been caught up in litigation at the Madras High Court, and the government was taking steps, legally and administratively, to find a solution.

Twelve out of 13 universities in the State, with the exception of Mother Teresa Women’s University, have been functioning without Vice-Chancellors for several years, with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and Alagappa University being the latest to be added to the list.

Mr. Viswanathan also announced that the government would implement a Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for teachers of government-aided arts and science colleges, government and government-aided engineering colleges, and polytechnic colleges from September 1, with prospective effect. This has been a long-standing issue for the department, with teachers of government-aided colleges staging multiple agitations over the years, demanding the implementation of CAS.

The Minister announced that the government would take steps to fill the 6,000-plus vacancies in government arts and science and technical institutions through the Teachers’ Recruitment Board in three phases. Besides, the ongoing process of recruitment of 2,708 assistant professors to government arts and science colleges will be completed soon. The honorarium of guest lecturers in government arts and science and technology institutions has been raised from ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 with immediate effect, while guest lecturers in polytechnic colleges will get ₹30,000, up from ₹25,000.

Mr. Viswanathan also announced the setting up of the Periyar Institute of Emerging Technologies (PIET) on the Anna University campus. The government will also enact a law to set up a School of Excellence for education and research in basic sciences.

IIMB’s first UG branch has more boys and CBSE students

Sruthysusan.Ullas @timesgroup.com 27.08.2026

Bengaluru: From a whopping 12,000 applications, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) has selected its first batch of undergraduate students. The batch comprises 56 boys and 24 girls, with an equal mix of commerce and science students. IIM-B is launching its BSc (hons) programmes in data sciences and economics at its new campus, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore–Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies, in Jigani-Anekal area.

Each programme has 40 seats. In Dec 2025, TOI had reported that the institute had received an overwhelming 12,000 applications. Subsequently, 453 candidates were shortlisted for interviews for 2026–30 academic year. Classes are set to begin on Aug 31, 2026. The inaugural cohort has 56 male and 24 female students. Of these, 39 have studied commerce, 39 science, and two arts and humanities. “Together, they bring a healthy mix of analytical and quantitative foundations to the incoming cohort, true to the multidisciplinary nature of the programmes,” said the premier institute. The incoming batch also brings an “exceptional academic track record”, the institute added, with more than half of the batch having scored above 90% overall in their class 12 examinations, 24 scoring more than 80%, and 44 students scoring above 90 marks in mathematics. The batch also reflects a diverse educational and geographic footprint. On the schooling board front, the majority of students – 51 – come from a CBSE background, followed by 23 from state boards, four from the IB curriculum, and one each from National Institute of Open Schooling and CISCE.

The batch draws students from across the country, with the largest contingents coming from Maharashtra (18), Karnataka (13), and Uttar Pradesh (10), and representation spanning 20 states in total, “reflecting the pan-India appeal of the programme”. Recently, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between IIM Bangalore and Tata Trusts (Sir Dorabji Tata Trust), formalising a significant philanthropic contribution by Tata Trusts towards development of the school. The school was thus renamed Indian Institute of Management Bangalore – Dorabji Tata School of Undergraduate Studies. The campus is located approximately 23 kilometres from IIMB’s Bannerghatta Road campus and is being developed as a dedicated residential academic environment designed to foster interdisciplinary learning, research and innovation.

Colleges pitch MBBS seats before counselling

27.08.2026

Chennai: “Round 2 is your next chance. Pre-book your MBBS seat,” flashes a social media advertisement, replete with a phone number—a pitch that aims to circumvent the regulated medical-admissions process. Several private medical institutions hold discreet on-campus consultations, offering scholarships, fee discounts and other incentives, parents say.

Candidates are asked to enter their names in a register and lock choices only for medical colleges affiliated with the university in the upcoming counselling round. “We were told we can try other colleges in the third or subsequent rounds if we don’t make it this time,” said R Elangovan, whose nephew is seeking admission this year.

Now, institutions like Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Research and Technology have made the practice public through social media advertisements. When TOI called the number on their Instagram ad, someone from the “admissions department” of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital said admission could be secured in one of two medical colleges under the university—at Perambalur or Samayapuram. “Bring your NEET admit card and scorecard to the college for further discussion,” he said.

Medical college dean Dr V Visvanathan, however, said the advertisements had been issued by consultants hired by the management. “You can’t pre-book seats. Admissions to our colleges are done by the central counselling committee,” he said. National Medical Commission chairman Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth earlier told TOI that it was illegal for any institution to solicit or admit students directly.

Under NMC rules, UG admissions must be conducted through central or state counselling authorities in a singlewindow online process. Admissions done outside this process would be cancelled with action initiated against the institution, he said. Experts demanded action against misleading advertisements. “They could create the impression that seats can be secured outside the merit-based system,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “Desperate parents and first-time applicants may not know the rules.” Times News Network