The Hindu: Faculty members to create corpus fund to help economically weaker students A.V. RAGUNATHAN R. Aravinth, an economically backward OCstudent who got MBBS seat in Annamalai University on merit basis with his mother.— Photo: T. Singaravelou A section of the faculty members of Annamalai University has decided to create a “corpus fund” to help out those students hailing from families with modest economic background but are keen on pursuing higher education. The idea germinated in the minds of certain faculty members as the university has now embarked upon the transparent admission procedure based on pure merit. A faculty member on the condition of anonymity told The Hindu that they got the spark from government-appointed Administrator Shiv Das Meena who was striving to restore the past glory of the university. Once merit was made the sole criterion for admission the image of the university would get refurbished and it would naturally attract good many talents. However, not all the meritorious students belong to affluent section as many of them hail from economically weaker sections of the society. For want of financial support they would be forced to give up higher studies. For instance, R. Aravinth of Sirkazhi is a studious student who has excelled in academic achievements throughout his schooling. On the strength of his mark totalling 1,154 out of 1,200 obtained in the Plus Two public examinations and the points scored in the entrance examinations, Annamalai University has offered him an MBBS seat in its Rajah Sir Muthiah Medical College in the counselling held on the university campus on Friday. Though it was an occasion to cheer about, his mother R. Umamaheswari was in tears because she was uncertain about mobilising necessary resources to meet the study expenses, because her husband V. Ramachandran serving as Paricharagar in Vaitheeswaran temple could hardly earn Rs. 4,000 a month. It is such of those candidates whom the generous faculty members have come forward to help. Hitherto, they have been doing it individually or in coordination with service organisations. But it is for the first time the like-minded faculty members in the university have proposed to act in a coordinated manner to support the needy student. However, it is emphatically stated that such an association would be purely on a voluntary basis. “The efficient manner in which the university affairs are being run by Administrator Mr. Meena has ignited the minds of the faculty members to promote merit through the creation of the corpus fund,” sources said. It is the wish of the faculty members that such a merit-based admission should become the inherent part of the university culture as it would enable them to set and achieve academic goals in a significant manner.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 11:42:58 +0000
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