Chennai, Tamil Nadu Higher Education department will be opening ten new arts and science colleges in the state to encourage more girls to pursue higher education.

The state government has already announced Rs 1,000 per month for girls as an incentive to pursue higher education.

Colleges are coming up in Manapparai, Chenjee, Thali, Tirumaiyam, Andhiyur, Aruvakurichi, Tirukkatupalli, Reddiyarchathiram, Vadalur and Sriperumpadur.

Higher Education Minister K. Pondmudi while speaking to IANS said: "We will be opening ten new arts and science colleges and the focus is mainly on girls. The Chief Minister has announced Rs 1,000 monitory assistance per month for girl students who are pursuing higher education. This will lead to more girl students joining colleges and hence we are opening more colleges."

He also said that the government is expecting 2 lakh girl students to join colleges every year following the monthly monetary assistance scheme.

The minister said that an amount of Rs 165.50 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of the ten new government arts and science colleges that are to come up from the next academic year onwards.

The higher education department has already sanctioned an amount of Rs 1,000 crore to upgrade the infrastructure in 55 government arts and science colleges in the state as also 26 technical institutes.

It has allocated an amount of Rs 130 crore for developing hostel facilities in government colleges, including at Anna university's Guindy campus.