" Universities which foster and promote the objectives of higher education must learn to serve as the Conscience of the nation and this onerous responsibility becomes all the greater in absence of an enlightened public opinion.  If universities are to fulfill their tasks competently and adequately, keeping in view the compelling demands of social and economic justice, they have necessarily to redeem themselves from the stranglehold of obsolescence and worn out ideas and become dynamic and with public confidence by equalizing educational opportunities, encouraging both individuality and variety and helping youth to develop their potential to the full in keeping with the present explosion of scientific knowledge and the changing social ethos."

The National Policy on Education (1986), with a view of moving the Higher education system to the central slot in the Education scenario of India, has spelt out the strategies to impart the needed dynamism and vibrancy to tertiary education as never before.  Of these strategies a major one envisioned by it is the creation of structures for coordination at the State and National Levels.  It has proposed in specific terms that state level planning and coordination of Higher Education should be done through State Councils for Higher Education set up as statutory bodies.  The University Grants Commission and the State Councils should develop coordinate methods to keep a watch on standards.  It is in pursuance of this significant recommendation of the National Education Policy that the Government of Tamil Nadu established a State Council for Higher Education by the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) Act.  This statutory body started functioning from 9th November 1992.