Dravidian model is all about growth and education: Stalin

Chennai: The Dravidian model’s goal is to invest in growth and development, especially that of higher education, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Wednesday.“During the time Kamaraj as chief minister big strides were made in school education, while during the chief ministership of M Karunanidhi college education got a boost. My goal is to boost research studies and higher education,” said Stalin. He was speaking at a gathering in Vellore after inaugurating a hostel block named after Karunanidhi and a research park at the Vellore Institute of Technology. The 19-storeyed hostel block can accommodate more than 1,300 students. The seven-floor Pearl Research Centre consists of 60 research labs and 50 classrooms.Education, especially higher education, is the right of young people, Stalin said: “Education is the only property that cannot be stolen from you. That is why people will try to prevent you from obtaining that precious property. Young people need to study more.”He highlighted Tamil Nadu government’s two important schemes — ‘Naan Mudhalvan’ and ‘Puthiya pen’ — in that regard. “Under the Puthiya Pen scheme, around 1,730 women in Ranipet, 889 women in Thirupathur and 5,697 women in Tiruvannamalai districts benefitted. In Vellore, 4,110 female students have benefitted,” the chief minister said.K Duraimurugan, minister for water resources, in his speech called for more focus to renovate and revitalise schools and colleges built during the British and Congress periods. Among those who took part in the event were K Ponmudy, Minister for Higher Education, R Gandhi, Minister for Handloom and Textiles, G. Vishwanathan, founder-chancellor of VIT, and vice-presidents of VIT Sankar Vishwanathan, Sekar Vishwanathan and G V Selvam.