Tamil Nadu Puts Job Training on College Heads as Critics Push Back

New Job Rules

The Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department has ordered Heads of Departments in universities and colleges to take charge of student placements. Sent out in a letter on Friday, the new rule directs department heads to partner with three to five private businesses relevant to their field. These ties must be made official through signed agreements to help students with industry tasks, mini projects, curriculum feedback, and regular meetings. Departments in basic sciences and commerce must also join this work. Officials have prepared a list of 173 useful skills for arts and science colleges. For languages and social sciences like history and political science, general skills such as digital marketing can be used. Department heads must pick two to three skill areas, with six skills in each area.

Deadlines and Demands

Colleges must ask the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education for help and training when needed. Each institution must send a list of five placement coordinators to the council by November 16. Education activists have strongly opposed this order. The State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu released a statement on Saturday calling for the order to be cancelled. General secretary P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu asked how a professor or department head can do the job of a placement officer. The group stated that teachers should focus on guiding research, managing academic work, and handling administrative tasks tied to studies. S. Suresh, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers Association, pointed out that government arts and science colleges have over 7,000 open jobs and many departments lack teachers completely. He argued that the government should fill permanent teaching posts first.

Context

College department heads in India traditionally focus on teaching, research, and running academic departments rather than direct job placement work. Bringing industry partners into higher education is a common push to help graduates find jobs more easily after finishing their studies.