AUT, MUTA allege discrimination against aided colleges in disbursement of CM research grant

Members of Association of University Teachers (AUT), Tamil Nadu, and Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa, and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) have condemned what they call discrimination against government-aided colleges in disbursement of Chief Minister’s Research Grant (CMRG).

A statement issued on Monday jointly by AUT and MUTA pointed out that last week, the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE), the nodal agency for CMRG disbursement, issued an advertisement calling for proposals on translational research for CMRG for the academic year 2026-27.

However, under the eligibility criteria, it was noted that “aided and self-funded HEIs are not covered under CMRG”. This, the statement from the teachers’ bodies stated, amounted to a blatant neglect towards encouraging research in government-aided colleges.

The associations demanded an immediate stop to the prejudiced and premeditated steps taken by the Higher Education Department to structurally dismantle the government-aided institutions, which have a rich history of contributing to the State’s higher education landscape substantially.

The statement demanded necessary amendments to be carried out in the G.O. issued on January 27, 2023 sanctioning ₹50 crore annually for CMRG so as to include aided institutions as well. The teachers’ body also highlighted the denial of promotional benefits to teachers in aided institutions under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), for which they were holding a series of agitations, being a pointer to the government’s apathy towards hundreds of students, including those from economically disadvantaged families, studying in these institutions.