Chennai, Nov 11 (PTI): The Tamil Nadu government will soon resolve the prolonged delay in appointing Vice-Chancellors to state universities, Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan said on Wednesday, noting that a recent meeting with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has resulted in a preliminary understanding.
Acknowledging the vacancies, the minister explained that the matter is currently tied up in court cases involving the previous Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and the state government.
"We accept that there are no Vice-Chancellors. It is under litigation," Viswanathan told reporters.
He noted that following a recent meeting with the Governor, attended by himself, the School Education Minister, and the Speaker, a resolution is in sight.
"An understanding has been reached. We will likely meet the Governor again in a week," he said, adding that in the interim, senior professors have been appointed to manage Alagappa, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, and Annamalai universities.
Highlighting the government's six-month milestones, Viswanathan announced the implementation of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for professors, resolving a five-year demand that had sparked numerous protests.
"The GO (government order) has been issued. Only the disbursal of monetary benefits is pending," he said, adding that the financial benefits will be effective from September 1.
He also confirmed a Rs 5,000 salary hike for guest lecturers, stating, "The Tamil Nadu government is ready to provide the Rs 5,000 increment with retrospective effect."
In a major boost for higher education, the minister detailed a Rs 2,000 crore initiative to provide laptops to first and second-year students across Arts and Science, Engineering, Agriculture, and Polytechnic colleges.
He clarified that the devices will not be uniform but will feature different configurations tailored specifically to the technical requirements of the respective courses.
"If a laptop meant for an Arts and Science student is given to an engineering student, how is it justified? Therefore, configurations will be provided based on their educational standards and future needs," Viswanathan explained.
Addressing concerns over staffing, Viswanathan stated that the state currently has 9,000 professor vacancies. Examinations have already been conducted for 2,700 posts, with 27,000 candidates clearing the exam and awaiting certificate verification and interviews.
To address the remaining shortage, the minister assured, "In the next two years, exams will be conducted through the TRB (Teachers Recruitment Board) for approximately 6,000 professor vacancies."
Earlier, speaking at an event marking Urdu Day and Dr Abul Kalam Azad's birth anniversary, Viswanathan assured the Urdu-speaking community of the state's full backing.
"The Tamil Nadu government will stand by those people; it will stand as a protective shield for them," he said.
At the event, where the Urdu Academy honoured 23 long-serving Urdu medium teachers, 10 poets and writers, and 627 students, he promised to take the community's request for a dedicated Urdu Teachers Training Academy to the Chief Minister for approval.
Responding to queries on corruption allegations raised by the NGO Arappor Iyakkam, the minister confirmed that district-level committees have been formed to investigate the complaints transparently. Furthermore, he noted that a special committee constituted by the CM is actively probing fee structures and irregularities in private colleges, and action will be taken once the final report is submitted.
The anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam exposed a massive irregularity involving private engineering colleges affiliated with Anna University. The NGO released documents revealing that hundreds of faculty members were simultaneously listed on the payrolls of multiple different engineering colleges to fraudulently meet All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and university affiliation norms.
More recently, the NGO flagged large-scale irregularities in how the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU) granted affiliations to over 70 private teacher education colleges between 2023 and 2025. PTI JR KH