Department_of_Higher_Education_(Tamil_Nadu)
The Department of Higher Education is one of the departments of Government of Tamil Nadu. Established in 1997, the department is responsible for formulating policies and regulations for higher education in the state.
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1997; 27 years ago (1997) |
| Jurisdiction | Tamil Nadu |
| Headquarters | Chennai |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Government of Tamil Nadu |
| Website | Higher Education Department |
The Directorate of Technical Education was established on 14 October 1957. The higher education department was formed in 1997, after bifurcation from the combined education, science and technology department.[1]
The department is responsible for formulating policies, laws, regulations and programmes for higher education in the state.[2]
As of 2023[update], there are 56 universities in the state including 24 public universities.[3] University of Madras was founded in 1857 and is one of India's first modern universities.[4] There are more than 510 engineering colleges in the state including 34 government colleges with the government-run College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University founded in 1794 is the oldest engineering college in India.[5][6][7] There are also 496 polytechnic institutions with 92 government colleges and 935 arts and science colleges in the state including 302 government run colleges.[5][8]
The following sub-departments and undertakings operate under the department:[9]
- Sub-departments
- Directorate of Collegiate Education (TNDCE)
- Directorate of Technical Education (TNDTE)
- Department of Archives and Historical Research
- Undertakings and bodies
- Science City Chennai
- Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Center (TNSTC)
- Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TANSCST)
- Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE)
- Tamil Nadu State Council for Technical Education (TANSCTE)
- Tamil Nadu State Urdu Academy
| Name | Portrait | Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. Aranganayagam | 30 June 1977 | 17 February 1980 | |
| C. Aranganayagam | 9 June 1980 | 9 February 1985 | |
| C. Ponnaiyan | 10 February 1985 | 30 January 1988 | |
| K. Anbazhagan | 27 January 1989 | 30 January 1991 | |
| R. M. Veerappan | 24 June 1991 | 12 May 1996 | |
| K. Anbazhagan | 13 May 1996 | 13 May 2001 | |
| M. Thambidurai | 14 May 2001 | 1 March 2002 | |
| C. V. Shanmugam | 2 March 2002 | 12 May 2006 | |
| K. Ponmudy | 13 May 2006 | 15 May 2011 | |
| P. Palaniappan | 16 May 2011 | 22 May 2016 | |
| K. P. Anbalagan | 23 May 2016 | 6 May 2021 | |
| K. Ponmudy | 7 May 2021 | 21 December 2023 | |
| Raja Kannappan | 21 December 2023 | Incumbent | |
- Department handbook (PDF). tn.gov.in (Report). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- "Higher education department". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- "Universities in Tamil Nadu". AUBSP. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- "A brief history of the modern Indian university". Times Higher Education. 24 November 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020.
- Higher education policy report 2023-24 (PDF) (Report). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- "Tamil Nadu: Over 200 engineering colleges fill just 10% seats; 37 get zero admission". The Times of India. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- "Some colleges, schools in Chennai oldest in country". The Hindu. 23 September 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
- AICTE Approved Institutions in Tamil Nadu (PDF) (Report). All India Council for Technical Education. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- Sub-departments under the Higher Education Department (PDF). tn.gov.in (Report). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 December 2012.