The Tamil Nadu Government has reduced the qualifying mark for securing admissions to Engineering colleges. <br/><br/>Talking to newsmen in Chennai on Wednesday, the Higher Education Minister Mr. Ponmudy said the marks for students belonging to general category has been brought down from 55 percent to 50, while the minimum marks for Backward class students will be 45. He said as far as the most backward classes are concerned the mark would be 40 per cent.<br/><br/>Following the government deciding to bear the expenses for the first generation graduates, the minister said all seats in engineering colleges in the state are likely to be filled up. The Minister said this year a total of one lakh eighty four thousand engineering colleges application forms have been sold so far.