Students and political parties demand opening of Govt. B.Ed. college in Salem

Students and political parties push for action to open government B.Ed. college in Konganapuram, Salem district, amid delays.

Students and political parties are urging action to make the government B.Ed. college in Konganapuram, Salem district, operational.

The college, built in 2019 at a cost of ₹5 crore following student demands, was inaugurated by then-Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Located in his Assembly constituency, Edappadi, the college has remained non-functional due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

R. Sundaram, a local resident, noted that while the AIADMK government had established a Periyar University constituent arts and science college in Edappadi with over 700 students, there was no government B.Ed. college in Salem. As a result, students had to attend private institutions in Komarapalayam and Coimbatore. “Although the government B.Ed. college was inaugurated in 2019, neither the AIADMK nor the DMK governments have taken steps to make it functional,” he said. He added that the ₹5 crore buildings are now overgrown with bushes.

R. Vijayarasa, state secretary of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) student wing, highlighted that the college infrastructure could accommodate 200 students, and the fees were relatively low. He emphasised that the college would provide opportunities for aspiring teachers from rural areas. “We have submitted petitions to the Chief Minister, Higher Education Department, and Salem District Administration. If the college does not open soon, we will organise protests,” he warned.

Sources from the Higher Education Department revealed that the college had been inaugurated without securing approval from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The pandemic delayed efforts to obtain this approval. Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU) is now working to get the necessary clearances.