The Tamil Nadu Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes to reduce the land and financial requirements for setting up private universities in the state, has been sent to the President for assent, Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan said.
The development comes days after Governor R N Ravi reserved the Bill for further consideration. The Governor had sought clarification on provisions of the Bill before it was referred to the President.
The Bill seeks to amend the Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act, 2019, under which a sponsoring body was earlier required to possess at least 100 acres of contiguous land for establishing a private university.
Land requirement reduced
Under the proposed amendment, the minimum land requirement would depend on the location of the proposed university.
Greater Chennai Corporation: 12 acres
Other municipal corporations and municipal councils: 18 acres
Areas outside these limits: 25 acres
The government has cited the availability and cost of land in urban areas as a reason for lowering the requirement, particularly in Chennai.
The Bill also proposes to reduce the permanent endowment fund requirement from Rs 50 crore to Rs 25 crore. The endowment requirement is intended to provide financial support for the functioning of private universities.
Government says changes are for new universities
Viswanathan said the amended provisions are intended to make it easier to establish new private universities and attract institutions that can offer international-standard education.
"The amendment is only for establishing new universities. We aim to establish world-class private universities in the state," the minister said. He also rejected criticism that the changes would amount to privatisation of higher education.
The minister's clarification is significant because an earlier private university amendment introduced by the state government in 2025 had proposed provisions allowing existing private colleges to become universities. That Bill was withdrawn following opposition from political parties and other groups.
The 2026 Bill, according to the government's current explanation, is focused on establishing new universities rather than converting existing colleges into universities.
Opposition raises concerns
The proposed relaxation has faced opposition from the CPI, CPI(M), PMK and sections of the teaching community. Critics have raised concerns that lowering the entry requirements could result in a rapid expansion of private universities and affect the affordability and accessibility of higher education.
The government has maintained that the reduced requirements are intended to attract investment and institutions capable of developing large-scale academic and research facilities, while existing regulatory requirements of bodies such as the UGC would continue to apply.
The Bill will require Presidential assent before the amended provisions can come into force. Until then, the existing provisions of the Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act continue to apply.