More than 3,000 students received awards and scholarships worth ₹2.23 crore were distributed. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The existing number of seats in government universities in the country should be increased to make higher education easily accessible to students in rural areas and tribal settlements, said G. Viswanathan, founder and chancellor of VIT.
Addressing the University Day and Annual Sports Day 2026 organized by VIT at its campus here, he said there was a need for greater public investment in higher education by state governments and the Centre. “Some universities are reducing student intake due to financial constraints. In Tamil Nadu, out of 22 universities, only two have more than 10,000 students. Government universities should increase their annual intake capacity to allow easy access for poor students,” he said.
Emphasizing the importance of faculty, Mr. Viswanathan noted that teachers contribute 90 percent to the success of educational institutions, with the remaining 10 percent coming from administration and infrastructure. He said the government should introduce some form of financial assistance for students studying in private institutions and appreciated the contribution of the Indian diaspora in the field of remittances. NRIs, for example, sent around ₹12 lakh crore back to the country in 2025 as remittances, with Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu topping the list, he said.
The event saw around 3,800 students receiving medals and awards. Scholarships worth ₹2.23 crore were also distributed, including the Rajeswari Viswanathan Memorial Scholarship and Chancellor’s Special Prizes and Gold Medals.
Biju George, Principal, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore was the chief guest. Sankar Viswanathan and Sekar Viswanathan, Vice Presidents of VIT were also present.
Published – 04 Apr 2026 23:36 IST
