Chennai: Amid protest from a few parties in the State, Tamilnadu Governor R N Ravi chaired his first meeting with Vice-Chancellors of State Universities on Saturday.
The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the universities, asked the Vice-Chancellors in the State to focus on academic excellence and quality research, and advised them to ensure quality in recruitment of teaching faculty.
He appreciated the Tamilnadu government for having 20 State Universities, and also over the impressive gross enrolment ratio (GER) in the State.
The Governor appreciated the way the Tamil Nadu government has been helping the varsities, especially in mitigating their financial distress, an official release said.
Ravi insisted on the need for continuous improvement in knowledge creation to assure quality in higher education. He saw presentations made by the Vice-Chancellors and advised them to ensure quality in recruitment of faculty. ‘The presentations were part of the briefing about the universities and their achievements,’ the release said.
As the higher education of the State has expanded significantly, the Governor urged the Vice Chancellors to focus on academic excellence and quality research.
The Governor lauded the State government for helping the varsities, particularly in mitigating their financial distress and ‘urged the government to nudge the universities for enhancing the quality of education and research.’
Meanwhile on Sunday, the Governor inaugurated the newly added components of the Botanical Garden here – a herbal and aroma garden and a cacti house.
According to a release, the herbal and aroma garden is a repository of aromatic, herbal, and medicinal species comprising 150 medicinal and aromatic species. This will serve as a learning centre for students and researchers to know about the economic and medicinal value of these species.
The Governor also planted ārudrakshaā in the garden. The newly opened cacti house has a collection of nearly 220 species. The cacti and succulent plant collection is largest in India. He also visited the TNAU insect museum.