Tamil Nadu: Six new diploma courses in Tamil Nadu engineering colleges

CHENNAI: Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy on Monday announced measures to augment diploma and engineering courses and make them industry-ready, including introduction of new diploma courses and laboratories on AI, robotics and EV technologies.

He announced that six new diploma courses will be introduced in four polytechnic colleges, including a course on packaging technology at Institute of Printing Technology, one on petroleum chemistry at Institute of Chemical Technology, two courses on footwear technology at Institute of Leather Technology, and two more in Institute of Textile Technology.

Three government engineering colleges in Coimbatore, Salem and Bargur will get a laboratory each on robotics and artificial intelligence at Rs 3 crore, he said; laboratories at Rs 3 crore on EV technology to be set up at colleges in Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri and Erode; colleges in Karaikudi and Bodinayakanur to get Internet of Things laboratories at Rs 2 crore; Additive Manufacturing laboratories in Vellore, Thanjavur and Tiruchirapalli at Rs 3 crore.

Further, Rs 7.05 crore will be spent on procuring furniture and other logistics for government arts and science colleges, he said, adding that training on capacity building will be conducted for polytechnic college teachers. He said 1,400 students, the previous limit being 500, will receive training for competitive examinations for post-graduate courses, for which an additional Rs 77 lakh will be allocated.

The minister announced more measures on upgrading infrastructure facilities in government colleges, including a new men’s hostel building at Rs 21 crore in Coimbatore to 300 students; similar hostels will be established in Erode college, Chennai CIT campus and Central Polytechnic campus, he said. A separate restroom for female students will be constructed in 171 government colleges at Rs 5 lakh each, he said.

To accommodate the rising demand for arts and science courses, he announced government colleges will hike their intake by 20%, government-aided colleges are permitted to increase it by 15%, and self-financing arts and science colleges are permitted to increase 10% of their seats.