CHENNAI: Tamil-medium engineering courses in civil and mechanical engineering continue to struggle to attract students, with a significant number of seats remaining vacant in government engineering colleges even after the completion of general counselling for engineering admissions.
Around 90 engineering programmes are offered across 418 colleges in Tamil Nadu. Anna University has permitted civil and mechanical engineering programmes to be offered in Tamil medium.
However, these programmes are available predominantly in government engineering colleges, including the College of Engineering, Guindy, and constituent colleges of Anna University.
According to the latest counselling data, several government engineering colleges, barring the College of Engineering, Guindy, have been unable to fill all the seats in Tamil-medium civil and mechanical engineering programmes.
Of the 353 seats available in civil engineering across 11 colleges, 300 have been filled, leaving 53 vacant.
In mechanical engineering, 267 of the 416 seats available across 13 colleges have been filled, leaving 149 vacant seats.
In contrast, more than 80 per cent of the seats in other engineering programmes offered in English medium have been filled in government colleges.
Tamil-medium engineering courses are generally preferred by students from government schools who studied in Tamil medium. The 20 per cent preferential reservation in government employment for students who studied in Tamil medium is also considered a factor influencing their choice.
Educationists have urged the government to introduce special English communication and skill-development programmes for students pursuing engineering courses in Tamil medium
However, professors and educationists have expressed concerns over the English-language skills of students pursuing engineering courses in Tamil medium.
Former government engineering college professor Dr P Vengala Kumar said students pursuing the same courses in Tamil and English medium attend common classes, but Tamil-medium students are not provided with separate training to strengthen their English communication skills.
Educationist R Ashwin said students could face difficulties when seeking employment in the private sector, where English communication skills are often given greater importance. He said some private companies also consider the medium of instruction during the recruitment process.
Educationists have therefore urged the government to introduce special English communication and skill-development programmes for students pursuing engineering courses in Tamil medium to improve their employability and prepare them for opportunities in the private sector.