Tiruchi–Thanjavur national highway stretches its arms for education

Presence of five universities and a number of government, professional and arts colleges has already accorded the Tiruchi – Thanjavur national highway the status of a higher education zone. The State government's latest decision to start a government engineering college at Sengipatti in Thanjavur district along the highway has now reiterated the prominence of the stretch.

The 50-km long national highway connecting Tiruchi and Thanjavur has always been a favourite stretch for educationists to start professional and arts and science colleges since the 1970s when the self financing concept was introduced by the then state government.

In the jurisdiction of Thanjavur district, Tamil University was the first to be started by the first All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime led by late MGR. Three more Universities – Periyar Maniammai University, SASTRA University and PRIST University –came up on this road in quick succession.

Periyar Polytechnic College, Maruthu Pandiar Arts and Science College, Adaikalamatha College of Arts and Science, Adaikalamatha Institute of Management, Gnanam School of Business, Bharath College of Science and Management, Swami Vivekananda College were established one after another.

On the side of Tiruchi district, the National Institute of Technology-Tiruchi was started first. Most of the other government or government-aided institutions constitute the Government Arts College, Tiruverumbur, Government Polytechnic College, Government ITI, Urumu Dhanalakshmi College, Seshasayee Institute of Technology, and State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering, Thuvakudi, the only government run catering college in the state. Vantage location, accessibility owing to bus frequency, and most importantly the reputation these institutions enjoy, have turned out to be the factors that attract students from far to the institutions along the stretch, say educationists