Trichy's School Education Minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, made significant announcements on Friday, addressing concerns over voter list deletions and responding to criticism on education while inaugurating new tech facilities for students.
Vigorous Drive to Restore Deleted Voters
Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi declared that the state government would launch a vigorous effort to gather details on voters who were removed from the electoral list following the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Addressing reporters in Trichy, he expressed serious concerns about the numerous deletions observed in the updated roll.
The minister stated that officials would now work with the same intensity used during the SIR to collect information on who was removed and the reasons behind it. He affirmed that necessary steps would be taken to add eligible citizens back to the voters' list, ensuring their democratic right is not compromised.
Countering Allegations on School Dropout Rates
When questioned about remarks made by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor Vijay regarding an increase in school dropout rates, Minister Poyyamozhi offered a sharp rebuttal. He presented data, countering that the dropout rates were at their highest during the 2017-2018 period under the previous AIADMK government.
"Under the DMK government, the dropout rate has come down to just 7.7%," the minister asserted. He pointed out that K A Sengottaiyan, who was the school education minister during the high-dropout period cited, is now associated with Vijay's TVK. Poyyamozhi accused the actor of relying on outdated news reports and advised him to update his information before making public accusations.
Inauguration of Robotics Laboratories
Earlier in the day, the minister, along with Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru, inaugurated a state-of-the-art robotics laboratory at the Government Higher Secondary School in Thuvakudi. They also opened eight new classrooms constructed at a cost of ₹1.3 crore at the same institution.
This event was part of a larger statewide initiative. A total of 15 robotics laboratories, established at an overall cost of ₹6.09 crore across 15 districts, were opened simultaneously. These labs are designed to foster critical skills among students in government schools from classes 6 to 9.
The primary objectives of these new facilities include:
- Enhancing problem-solving abilities among students.
- Promoting teamwork and collaborative learning.
- Stimulating creativity and innovation in STEM fields.
This initiative marks a significant step towards modernizing the educational infrastructure and equipping students with future-ready skills in Tamil Nadu.
