CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is set to embark on a major course correction while framing its higher education policy during the XIIth Five Year Plan Period (2012-17) by going in for vibrant changes in the curriculum. The State Planning Commission has decided to integrate skill development modules offered by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) with the university curriculum. State Planning Commission Member (Education) E Balagurusamy unveiled a roadmap for the proposed educational reforms at a regional consultative meeting of stakeholders at the Bharathiar University here on Wednesday. “We have to realise that we are not producing graduates for immediate employment but for future employability. The graduates coming out of universities and college now lack the skill sets for self employment and the job market. In the XIIth Plan we want to incorporate the skill training modules of the NSDC in our higher education curriculum including engineering and arts and science colleges,” Balagurusamy said. Pointing out that Tamil Nadu wanted to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education from the existing 16 per cent to 25 per cent in the next plan period, he said this would mean almost doubling the student population for which more institutions need to be opened. “Colleges are propagating about cent percent placements on their campuses. But a college cannot function like an Employment Exchange. It is the job of the industry to create jobs and the role of colleges is to produce quality graduates who are employable,” he quipped. Regretting that self-employment initiatives have drastically come down in the State during the past 15 years, Balagurusamy argued that institutions must build in the required entrepreneurship skills as well. While the Union HRD Ministry’s much-hyped 14 Innovation Universities are yet to take off, he felt that Tamil Nadu could launch its own world class universities and also set up an exclusive institution to train college teachers. Commenting on the poor quality of research, Balagurusamy said “most research papers simply add to a person’s biodata with no practical relevance or good to the society.” Anna University of Technology (Chennai) Vice Chancellor C Thangaraj said the XIIth Plan would lay emphasis on research in the thrust areas of water, energy, health and environment.
Comments
0 comment