Tamil Nadu to connect all state universities with 'cloud computing'

Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced that all the universities and affiliated universities would be connected through cloud computing to give various services to students, teachers and researchers at an estimated Rs 160 crores in three years time.

Since, Tamil Nadu is leading in automobile growth, research on vehicles consuming less fuel and carbon-dioxide would be useful, she said adding that a motor vehicle technology centre would be established at Anna University at an estimate of Rs 50 crores.

In a statement under rule 110 in the Asssembly, she said four-year integrated B.Sc, B.Ed and B.A, B.Ed course would be introduced in the state. New zonal centres for Tamil Nadu Open University would be established in Villupuram and Nilgiris. The Chief Minister also announced the setting up of an international research development and training centre at a cost of Rs 50 crores and an auditorium at an expense of Rs 50 crores at Anna University.

Many private engineering colleges are sending their students abroad for short-term practical training and similar facilities should be offered to students of government engineering colleges too, Jayalalithaa said. Every year, 100 students from 10 government engineering colleges would be sent to universities and colleges abroad for such training, she added.

Coaching centres for Indian Engineering Service Exam would be set up at Chennai, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Tirunelveli. She said the health centre at Madurai Kamaraj University would be upgraded to a multi-speciality hospital with modern infrastructure and staff at a cost of Rs 4.75 crore.

Besides, the students, workers and teachers of the university, people from 100 villages around the university are using the health centre, she said. An indoor stadium and a library at a cost of Rs 6.75 crore would be set up and facilities like solar power, ground water storage scheme and WIFI connectivity at an estimate of Rs 5 crore would be installed at the university, besides modernisation of hostel at Rs 1.10 crore.

An arts and science college would come up at Mettupalayam for the benefit of poor and tribal students around the area and another college at Perumbakkam at Kancheepuram district, she said.

A training centre for non-destructive testing would be set up at Madurai to train 100 students every year. Besides, a video conferencing centre would be established at the Directorate of Technical Education in Chennai to help the students listen to the speeches of internationally renowned experts on various subjects.