Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Readers' Mail

Streetlights

Sir, — Streetlights, used to be switched off at 6 a.m in Madurai, are nowadays switched off at 5 a.m.

It is said that the darkest period is before dawn, when women used to sweep the front yard and milk vendors and paperboys do their rounds. So, switching off streetlights at this hour will give an opportunity to criminals to indulge in chain snatching, among other crimes, under the cover of darkness.

Hence, authorities must see to that streetlights are switched off only at 6 a.m.

P.M. Vijayan,

Madurai.

Programmes

in schools

Sir, — It is disgusting that `cultural' programmes in many schools have become nothing but students dancing to film songs under all sorts of lights.

There is not an iota of Indian culture in such programmes.

What values these children could learn from such events? It has become a habit among these schools to compel children to buy fancy dresses they wear for such programmes, leading to financial burden for parents.

Moreover these dresses cannot be worn again. These programmes are conduct by the school managements for publicity at the cost of teachers and children's efforts.

The Madurai Kamaraj University Colleges' Teaching and Non-Teaching (employees) Association (MUCEA) requests the Tamil Nadu Government to issue guidelines to all school managements on the conduct of such programmes, with a definition of our real `culture.'

K. Chandran,

General Secretary - MUCEA,

Madurai.

No shelter

Sir, — Without shelter, visitors to the Madurai airport are forced to wait under shade of trees. Nowhere to sit, when the flight is late, they have to stand for hours together. The airport authority charges Rs.20 as entry fee for visitors' gallery. Most visitors (drivers who come for pick-up and common folk) cannot afford to pay the fee. The airport authority should construct a shelter for such visitors.

G. Baskaran,

Madurai.

Entrance exam

Sir, — The eligibility norms for entry to engineering courses in Tamil Nadu vary between Anna University (for its constituent and affiliated colleges) and the deemed universities.

As for deemed universities, each has its own yardstick. But mostly they do not take into account the candidate's performance in the HSC examination as a crucial factor. This approach could not be termed as fair.

Of relevance here is that as per AICTE requirement, a pass in the HSC examination is sufficient. Andhra Pradesh and some other States accept this as a valid eligibility criterion for admission.

Besides, in Tamil Nadu aspirants have to sit for more than one entrance tests conducted by the TNPCEE, AIEE, deemed universities and by the Association of self-financing engineering colleges.

Multiplicity of entrance examinations will not only prove burdensome, but also stressful to both the applicant and parents in more ways than one.

So authorities concerned must devise a sound policy in time for the ensuing academic year.

V. Krishnamoorthy,

Madurai.

Varsity issue

Sir, — Apropos the news report `Colleges up in Arms against MKU course Affiliation Fee' ( The Hindu , 03.04.2005), the issue of continuation Affiliation Fee is fast turning out to be a major issue of confrontation. There seems to be something seriously wrong with the financial management of the university. The affiliation fee has recently been increased considerably resulting in heavy financial burden to colleges, which, of late, have been finding it difficult to fill normal strength of students in various courses. One of the reasons for the students not joining some courses in colleges is the prohibitively high fees the managements are forced to charge as a result of lack of government aid, huge amounts collected by the university by way of affiliation fees etc. Instead of making education cheap and affordable, the university seems to be bent upon doing exactly the opposite. The Vice-Chancellor and other authorities concerned would do well to plug the loop-holes in the financial administration of the university, recover the losses, punish the guilt and make it truly a centre of higher learning.

D. Samuel Lawrence,

Madurai.

Madurai.

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