<p>The Tamil Nadu government has ordered closure of all arts and science colleges in the state until further orders, in the wake of protests by students over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. <br /><br />The Directorate of College Education has directed principals to immediately close the 444 arts and science colleges across the state. </p>.<p>The students have been asked to vacate hostels, sources said. It was, however, not clear whether the order was applicable to the professional law, medical and engineering colleges. Since students of several law colleges and a few engineering and medical colleges also participated in the agitation, an official said. <br /><br />They may also be asked to follow suit if the situation aggravates. “We have to watch till Monday as weekends are holidays,” he said. The closure order implied that there won’t be classes for another two weeks at least, said a senior professor of Madras Christian College.<br /><br /> “Another four weeks of classes were left for the second semester, but now the closure order will eat into our summer vacation,” the professor noted. The exams in all arts and science colleges can only be held in May, he added.<br /><br />Senior education department officials held a meeting on Saturday evening, taking stock of various instances of students’ agitations in the districts. <br /><br />Officials were tight-lipped on the details, as some political leaders like MDMK chief Vaiko and PMK leader S Ramadoss have openly supported the students’ agitation. <br /><br />Trouble began after a small group of students of Loyola College embarked upon a “fast unto death” on March 8, demanding an “independent and international probe into the Sri Lankan war crimes.” <br /></p>
<p>The Tamil Nadu government has ordered closure of all arts and science colleges in the state until further orders, in the wake of protests by students over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. <br /><br />The Directorate of College Education has directed principals to immediately close the 444 arts and science colleges across the state. </p>.<p>The students have been asked to vacate hostels, sources said. It was, however, not clear whether the order was applicable to the professional law, medical and engineering colleges. Since students of several law colleges and a few engineering and medical colleges also participated in the agitation, an official said. <br /><br />They may also be asked to follow suit if the situation aggravates. “We have to watch till Monday as weekends are holidays,” he said. The closure order implied that there won’t be classes for another two weeks at least, said a senior professor of Madras Christian College.<br /><br /> “Another four weeks of classes were left for the second semester, but now the closure order will eat into our summer vacation,” the professor noted. The exams in all arts and science colleges can only be held in May, he added.<br /><br />Senior education department officials held a meeting on Saturday evening, taking stock of various instances of students’ agitations in the districts. <br /><br />Officials were tight-lipped on the details, as some political leaders like MDMK chief Vaiko and PMK leader S Ramadoss have openly supported the students’ agitation. <br /><br />Trouble began after a small group of students of Loyola College embarked upon a “fast unto death” on March 8, demanding an “independent and international probe into the Sri Lankan war crimes.” <br /></p>
