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The Tamil Nadu Private Universities (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be reviewed following instructions from Chief Minister M K Stalin, State Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan said on Saturday. The decision to review the Bill comes in the wake of protests from political parties including the opposition AIADMK and ruling DMK’s ally the CPI, besides the Association of University Teachers (AUT) that the bill in the present form would create Brownfield Universities, allowing existing private colleges including government-aided institutions to be converted into private universities. The amendment also introduces a minority private university category for institutions set up by linguistic and religious minorities under Article 30 of the Constitution. Also, it aims to reduce the minimum land requirement for establishing new universities. They also expressed concerns that the Bill passed by the Legislative Assembly on October 17 during the four-day session would corporatise higher education and affect the marginalised students in accessing higher education. Following the opposition, the Minister clarified that the Bill was brought to simplify some of the existing procedures for the establishment of new private universities and for the existing private educational institutions which want to be elevated to state private universities. “At the same time, the proposed amendment ensures appropriate legal safeguards for the welfare of students, teachers and non-teaching staff when private universities are formed,” Chezhiaan said in a statement here. The said Bill was introduced in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on October 15. Since various opinions were being expressed on social media and in public forums regarding the Tamil Nadu Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2025, he had to issue the clarification, the Minister said. The percentage of students enrolled in higher education in Tamil Nadu was currently the highest in India, and there was a need for more higher education institutions to be started in the state. It was very difficult to identify vast stretches of continuous land in rapidly urbanising Tamil Nadu. Moreover, the land value was increasing. Hence, the requirement of minimum land area has become a challenge for the establishment of new universities or even when big colleges want to convert or upgrade to universities, Chezhiaan pointed out. “Under this situation, it was felt that if the size of the land is reduced in accordance with the laws of private universities of other neighboring states, there will be opportunities for private educational institutions wishing to become universities to make efforts for it,” he said and added hence the need to simplify the rules. On the apprehensions on implementing reservation policy, he said the Dravidian model government will not compromise on social justice. Reservation policy will be followed in the appointment of teachers, admitting students, fixing tuition fees, and protecting the welfare of employees. “At the same time, I would like to point out that our government has not yet given permission to de facto universities that do not consider the right to state reservation. However, based on the views expressed by some members of the Legislative Assembly on this subject, and views of others, the Chief Minister has advised that the opinion of educationists, experts, and officials may be obtained on the Bill for appropriate action,” he said. “I would like to inform you that as per the advice of the Chief Minister this draft law will be sent for a proper review,” Chezhiaan said.
