The education sector witnessed tangible leaps under the AIADMK government, and the increase in the number of entrants to medical colleges from modest backgrounds testified to the AIADMK government’s interventions in this sector, said former Chief Minister and the AIADMK’s co-coordinator, Edappadi K Palaniwami, on Monday.

Speaking at the inaugural event of a private medical college and research institute of the former deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha M. Thambi Durai, Mr. Palaniswami said, higher education under the AIADMK witnessed a higher percentage of entrants than before. The percentage of higher education entrants rose from a mere 33% to 51% under the AIADMK, such that Tamil Nadu emerged as the state with a large percentage of students in higher education.

The State government’s 7.5% quota for government school students for medical education through NEET ensured that an increasing number of students from modest backgrounds could dream of medical education, said the former Chief Minister. “541 students from poor families could pursue medical education because of the 7.5% quota implemented by Amma’s government,” Mr. Palaniswami said.

It was the AIADMK government that established 7 law colleges, 21 polytechnic colleges, 5 veterinary medical colleges, 40 government arts and science colleges, and 23 medical colleges during its tenure, he added,