CHENNAI: The Assembly on Friday adopted 16 bills spanning various departments.

The alliance partners of the ruling DMK and TVK urged the government to make certain changes to the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Amendment Bill, 2025.

CPI, CPM, VCK, and TVK members also suggested modifications to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill and the Private Universities (Amendment) Bill.

During the debate, Minister for Higher Education K Govi Chezhiaan announced the land requirement for establishing a university in rural areas would be reduced from 50 acres to 45 acres, following requests from DMK legislators S Inigo Irudayaraj and VG Raajendran.

The Assembly passed a bill amending the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001, to remove provisions mandating imprisonment for individuals who encroach upon or damage highways or fail to respond to summons issued under the Act.

Under the amendment, such offences will now attract only monetary penalties instead of imprisonment, with the objective of promoting ease of doing business.

Sections 49, 50, and 51 of the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001, have been revised to impose penalties rather than criminal prosecution for violations.

Two other amendment bills in the Assembly seeking to overhaul the enforcement regime under the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976 (President’s Act 19 of 1976) and Tamil Nadu Admission in Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2006, were passed.