Giving effect to the announcement made by Chief Minister MK Stalin a few days ago, Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiyan on Monday, April 28, introduced a bill to establish the Kalaignar University in Kumbakonam by bifurcating the Bharathidasan University in Trichy, which covers eight districts. Significantly, the CM would be the chancellor of the new university.
So far, the Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University is the sole exception where the CM holds the position of chancellor, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
“The chief minister of the state of Tamil Nadu shall be the chancellor of the Kalaignar University. He shall, by virtue of his office, be the head of the university and shall, when present, preside at any convocation of the university and confer degrees, titles, diplomas or other academic distinctions upon persons entitled to receive them,” the bill tabled in the Assembly said, adding that state higher education minister shall be the pro-chancellor of this university and in the absence of the chancellor or during the chancellor's inability to act, the pro-chancellor shall exercise all the powers and perform all duties of the chancellor.
The Bharathidasan University covers a large area comprising eight districts — Ariyalur, Karur, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Trichy and Thiruvarur.
“To fulfil the ever-growing demands of higher education from diverse sections of the society and also to fulfil the aspirations of the youth, especially in the delta region, from disadvantaged background to enter higher education institutions and also to increase the gross enrolment ratio in the said region, the establishment of Kalaignar University is essentially required,” the bill explained, as per a report by The New Indian Express.
The proposed Kalaignar University would provide world-class facilities and disseminate knowledge for the upliftment of the marginalised living in the districts of Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Thiruvarur, the bill stated, pointing out that after the establishment of the Kalaignar University in Kumbakonam, the Bharathidasan University will cover the area comprising districts of Trichy, Karur, Perambalur and Pudukottai.
