Marks over here comes grade

CHENNAI, May 6: Universities and colleges in Tamil Nadu will do away with the marks system and go for the grading system, as the present system poses problems for state students when they seek admissions in foreign universities and colleges.

In a globalised environment, the certificates issued by colleges and universities should follow international norms, state minister for higher education Mr K Ponmudi told the state Assembly today. A record number of ten new universities, including a world class university, a Central university, Indian Management Education Institute and one exclusively for education would be formed this year in Tamil Nadu.

This would be in accordance with the recommendations of the Knowledge Commission, which had advised that at least 1500 universities should be established in the country, he said. The government had also decided to reduce the eligibility marks for admissions to engineering colleges, as thousands of seats went vacant in the last two years. The cut-off marks would be reduced by five marks for all categories.