AICTE picks 29 state universities, colleges for promoting Tamil in tech education
Accordingly, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has selected 29 universities and colleges in the State, which is the highest number of institutions in the country compared to other states, for providing funds under the AICTE-VAANI scheme
AITCE
CHENNAI: With the effective steps taken by the state government to improve regional language in higher education, Tamil Nadu stood number one among other states in the country for promoting Indian languages, especially Tamil, in technical education.
Accordingly, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has selected 29 universities and colleges in the State, which is the highest number of institutions in the country compared to other states, for providing funds under the AICTE-VAANI scheme.
AICTE-VAANI is a scheme by the AICTE to promote Indian languages in technical education. The scheme, officially named Vibrant Advocacy for Advancement and Nurturing of Indian Languages (VAANI), provides financial assistance to AICTE-approved institutions for organising conferences, seminars, and workshops in regional languages.
The goal is to create a knowledge base in regional languages and encourage the use of local languages in technical education. Focus areas under the scheme include 16 emerging fields in technical education, including Quantum Technology, Hydrogen Energy, Space and Defence, AI and Data Science, Agrotech and Food Processing, Cybersecurity
A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next that both state-run universities and private universities, besides technical colleges, were in the AICTE list.
"All these institutions were selected by the by the expert committee in the council," he said.
Stating that Anna University was selected for promoting Tamil language in thrust areas such as Advanced Computing, Supercomputing, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, he said Kalinga Institute of Technology from Chhattisgarh was also selected for promoting Tamil language in Energy, Sustainability and Climate Change.
He also said that private universities in the state, including SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, and the University College of Engineering BIT campus, were also in the AICTE list.
Concerning the expected outcomes of the scheme in the state, the official said publication of the research papers, ideas to create roadmap for upcoming projects and possibilities for opening new avenues for research, content creation, collaborations between institutions and industry, creating knowledge base in Tamil and to encourage creation of treasure of latest technical knowledge incorporating the newest developments in the language.
"The AICTE will allocate Rs 2 lakh for each programme, which will be organised by the institutions here," he added.
