T.N. government’s proposed four-year undergraduate programme faces resistance from students, faculty

The Tamil Nadu government's proposal for four-year undergraduate degree programmes in colleges and universities has encountered opposition from students' organizations and faculty members. Critics argue that insufficient infrastructure in government-run institutions of higher education and a surplus of teaching staff vacancies would impede the implementation of this plan.

Moreover, some students claim that the move contradicts the government's stance on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for a three-year undergraduate program. Only a little over half of the students who pass their higher secondary examinations proceed to college; the rest seek employment to support themselves.

J. Sebastin, the State President of the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), expressed concern that a four-year program could lead to more students abandoning higher education. He also pointed out that multiple exit options could create disparities among students in the same course dropping out at different stages.

The lack of teachers and poor infrastructure, Sebastin emphasized, would push students toward expensive private colleges. The All India Save Education Campaign (AISEC) urged the government to abandon the proposal, citing that the distinction between a three-year and four-year program would create layers and discriminate against those choosing the three-year option.

K. Jothi Sivagnanam, a former member of the State Planning Commission and former Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Madras, contended that implementing such programs would require significant changes in the syllabus, examination pattern, academic calendar, teachers, pedagogy, and infrastructure. Without a vice chancellor's support, these changes would be challenging to achieve, he noted.