‘Varsities will continue to offer M. Phil courses’

Ponmudi holds talks with V-Cs

All universities in the State will continue to offer M. Phil programmes as was done earlier, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi said. The Minister said he held a meeting with the Vice-Chancellors of all State universities on Thursday and told them that the earlier system of admitting students to M. Phil programmes would continue. All universities should follow a uniform norm, be it in the conduct of programmes or appointment of faculty and senior officials such as Registrars, Controllers of Examination or faculty for the institution. He further said as had been proposed all colleges would begin functioning from Aug. 1. “They will follow the norms laid for admission. The admission process will also be uniform,” he added. Admissions will be conducted only after July 31, the deadline provided by the Supreme Court to the CBSE to publish results of Class 12 examinations, he said. As for polytechnic colleges, the admission process had started as only Class 9 marks were required for admission, the Minister said. He maintained that Anna University’s admission would be through single window counselling and the cut off marks would be calculated based on the formula provided by the School Education Department.