New Anna varsity for affiliating engg. colleges

 New Anna varsity for affiliating engg. colleges

Bill passed in Tamil Nadu Assembly

17/09/2020

 R. SujathaCHENNAI

A new Anna University will be established, and all engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu will be affiliated to the Chennai-headquartered institution, according to a Bill passed in the State Assembly on Wednesday.

The existing Anna University at Guindy in the city will become a unitary institution under the name of Anna Technological and Research University (ATRU), with a focus on research and higher learning.

The reputed College of Engineering, Guindy, the Madras Institute of Technology, A.C. College of Technology and the School of Planning and Architecture will come under ATRU.

Tabling the Bills, Higher Education Minister K.P. Anbalagan said the decision was being taken “only for administrative reasons”.

He later told The Hindu that the decision had nothing to do with the Centre’s offer to upgrade Anna University into an ‘Institution of Eminence’ with a matching grant of ₹500 crore to focus on cutting-edge research.

“Managing the affairs of the engineering colleges across the State that are affiliated to Anna University is consuming much of the time and energy of eminent professors of the university. In order to concentrate on higher studies and research in engineering and technology, the government has decided to reconstitute the existing university as a unitary-type institution by the name of Anna Technological and Research University,” he said.

The new Anna University and ATRU will have separate administrative structures and governing bodies, like the syndicate and the academic council.