The Ministry of Higher Education wants department heads to prepare students for placement; activists cry foul
The Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department has decided to entrust the Heads of Departments (HoDs) of colleges with the primary responsibility of preparing students for employment. In response, education activists are calling for a recall, saying executives who are subject matter experts cannot be expected to perform the duties of placement officers.
The ministry’s decision was communicated to the higher education commissioner, director of technical education and registrars of all universities on Friday through a letter. The letter said executives are required to tie up with around three to five private business houses relevant to their industry and formalize the association by signing a memorandum of understanding “to facilitate regular interactions, curricular feedback, industry-related assignments and mini-projects that introduce students to industry practices.”
Basic science departments and business departments will also have to participate in the exercise, the letter says. The department has prepared a list of 173 skills relevant to subjects taught in art and science schools. For example, in languages and social sciences such as history and political science, general skills such as digital marketing can be considered. Leaders were instructed to identify two to three skills training verticals, each consisting of six skills.
Institutions have been instructed to approach the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) for training, support and other requirements. A list of five placement coordinators from each institution should be submitted to TANSCHE by November 16, the letter directed.
The directive has come under heavy criticism from education activists who say that the Tamil Nadu government has been rolling out different components of the National Education Policy 2020 one after the other. The State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) said in a statement on Saturday that the NEP2020 stated in its background that it aims to fulfill the objectives of the Education Policy 1986/1992 which were not implemented. The 1986/1992 education policy included provisions for “the commercialization of education and the transformation of universities into centers focused solely on vocational training and employment,” he added.
“Can a professor or head of a department in a college or university perform the duties of a placement officer,” asks a statement signed by PB Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, SPCSS-TN. “It is the responsibility of professors and department heads in colleges and universities to direct research, oversee academic processes — from curriculum design to assessment — and manage the administrative tasks associated with these academic functions,” the statement said.
Through this order, the ministry has delegated the responsibility of curriculum development to administrative officers while also imposing duties on heads of departments in colleges and universities that should rightfully be performed by placement officers, the statement added.
Making similar arguments, S. Suresh, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers’ Association, said that with more than 7,000 vacancies in government arts and science faculties and several departments having no faculty members at all, the government should prioritize the recruitment of permanent faculty members.
Published – 31 Oct 2026 23:41 IST