VIT Chancellor Urges Greater Education Funding from Centre, States

Speedy Summary:

• G. Viswanathan,Chancellor of VIT,emphasized the need for increased goverment funding in education too support rural students pursuing higher studies.
• Speaking at “STARS Day 2025,” organized by global Higher Education Trust (UHET) at VIT, he highlighted that parental financial burden prevents many poor families from affording educational expenses.
• Currently, approximately 28% of Indian students pursue higher education compared to about 60% in china. Tamil Nadu’s Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) is over 50%, significantly above India’s national average of 28%.
• Mr. Viswanathan noted public initiatives and state government efforts have reduced educational inequalities and improved enrollment rates in districts like North Arcot.
• He recalled the National Education policy (NEP) 2020 goal of reaching a GER of 50% by 2035 and underlined the importance of scholarships backed by public donations.
• Attendees included S. Kannappan (Director of School Education), Vellore Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi,and Sankar Viswanathan (Vice President of VIT).

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The remarks made by G. Viswanathan highlight critical challenges facing India’s education sector, notably rural access to higher education vis-à-vis affordability barriers. Comparisons with China underline significant disparities: improving India’s Gross Enrollment Ratio will require focused investment from both state and central governments as per NEP goals for lasting reforms.

tamil Nadu serves as a model within India with it’s GER exceeding national averages due to proactive government strategies combined with community-backed scholarships-a potent reminder that resource mobilization can help bridge socio-economic gaps even in historically underdeveloped districts.

Scholarship programs such as STARS underscore the potential role public-private partnerships can play in mitigating issues faced by marginalized communities while aligning with long-term policy objectives like NEP’s envisioned goals for educational inclusivity.

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