With over 1.56 lakh first generation engineering students benefiting from a scheme exempting them from paying tuition fee, the government today said it had allocated over Rs 400 crore for 2012-13, with the scheme now being expanded to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees also.

The policy note of the Higher Education Department tabled in the Assembly by Minster P Palaniappan said a sum of Rs 304.27 crore had been allocated for the scheme in 2011-12 and Rs 298.90 crore of the amount spent.

"The scheme has been extended to eligible wards of Sri Lankan refugees living in camps in Tamil Nadu. For the financial year 2012-13 a sum of Rs 477.97 crore has been allotted," he said adding 1,56,987 students have benefited so far.

Making the announcements for his department for the year 2012-13, Palaniappan proposed a Study Abroad Programme for faculty and students which would facilitate students and professors from the state and abroad visit either countries as part of the academic exercise.

Further, he announced that the government would set up soft-skill training centres which would also counsel students from problems, including depression.