Chennai: State govt is planning to train BSc and MSc students and help them crack the entrance tests conducted by top science institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.In the first batch, the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) is planning to shortlist 180 students studying in the final year BSc and MSc and provide them with coaching to gain admission into PG and PhD programmes in top institutes.“We will select 60 students each in math, physics, and chemistry. They will be given residential training during winter and summer vacations,” said M P Vijayakumar, vice-chairman of TANSCHE.The council has identified resource trainers, and they will train the students on topics relevant to these entrance tests. “There are 34 prominent research institutes, including IISc, IISERs, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) across the country. These institutes admit students into PG and PhD programmes based on entrance tests, including the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST), Graduate Aptitude Test (GATE), and IISER aptitude test,” he added.It also plans to train faculty members on teaching science subjects in an interesting manner. TANSCHE will equip 5,000 faculty members with modern, evidence-based pedagogical practices. “This initiative will focus on enhancing classroom engagement, promoting deeper learning, and fostering inquiry-led teaching environments. The council also plans to collaborate with IIT-M professors to develop the training module for the faculty members,” Vijayakumar said.In the assembly budget session this year, Tamil Nadu govt had announced the establishment of basic sciences and math research centres in Chennai and Coimbatore at a cost of 100 crore.
