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CHENNAI: Citing rural local body polls and festivals, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced holidays for colleges and universities from December 21 till January 1.

Higher education secretary Mangat Ram Sharma shot off a communique in this regard to the directors of technical education, collegiate education and the registers of all universities under the aegis of the department.

“In view of the rural local body polls 2019 to franchise their votes by the rural students in Tamil Nadu and also in view of the impending festivities, viz Christmas on December 25 and the new year celebration on January 1, I request you to declare four additional holidays for the students of the university/colleges. Accordingly, these institutions will be closed from December 21 to January 1 and to reopen the university/colleges on January 2,” the order said.

The university/colleges could compensate the four holidays (December 23, 24, 26 and 31) by conducting classes on Saturdays and other holidays, Sharma said.

The state election commission has notified elections to the rural local bodies in 27 districts in two phases on December 27 and 30.

