 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1997; 28 years ago (1997) |
| Jurisdiction | Tamil Nadu |
| Headquarters | Chennai |
| Minister responsible |
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| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | Government of Tamil Nadu |
| Website | Higher Education Department |
TheDepartment of Higher Education is one of thedepartments ofGovernment of Tamil Nadu. Established in 1997, the department is responsible for formulating policies and regulations forhigher education in the state.
The Directorate of Technical Education was established on 14 October 1957. The higher education department was formed in 1997, after bifurcation from the combined education, science and technology department.[1]
The department is responsible for formulating policies, laws, regulations and programmes forhigher education in the state.[2]
As of 2023[update], there are 56 universities in the state including 24public universities.[3]University of Madras was founded in 1857 and is one of India's first modern universities.[4] There are more than 510 engineering colleges in the state including 34 government colleges with the government-runCollege of Engineering, Guindy,Anna University founded in 1794 is the oldest engineering college in India.[5][6][7] There are also 496polytechnic institutions with 92 government colleges and 935 arts and science colleges in the state including 302 government run colleges.[5][8]
The following sub-departments and undertakings operate under the department:[9]
| Name | Portrait | Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. Aranganayagam | 30 June 1977 | 17 February 1980 | |
| C. Aranganayagam | 9 June 1980 | 9 February 1985 | |
| C. Ponnaiyan | 10 February 1985 | 30 January 1988 | |
| K. Anbazhagan |  | 27 January 1989 | 30 January 1991 |
| R. M. Veerappan | 24 June 1991 | 12 May 1996 | |
| K. Anbazhagan | | 13 May 1996 | 13 May 2001 |
| M. Thambidurai |  | 14 May 2001 | 1 March 2002 |
| C. V. Shanmugam | 2 March 2002 | 12 May 2006 | |
| K. Ponmudy | 13 May 2006 | 15 May 2011 | |
| P. Palaniappan | 16 May 2011 | 22 May 2016 | |
| K. P. Anbalagan | 23 May 2016 | 6 May 2021 | |
| K. Ponmudy | 7 May 2021 | 21 December 2023 | |
| Raja Kannappan | 21 December 2023 | 29 September 2024 | |
| Govi Chezhian | 29 September 2024 | Incumbent | |
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