Chennai, 18 October (H.S.) : The Communist Party of India (CPI) has strongly urged the Tamil Nadu state government to withdraw the recent Bill amending the Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act, 2019. The party contends that the proposed legislative changes would significantly undermine social justice and dilute state oversight in the higher education sector.

In an official statement, CPI state secretary M. Veerapandian highlighted key concerns regarding the amendment, which was recently passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The most critical change is the removal of the existing requirement that a private university must own a minimum of 100 acres of land. Veerapandian argued that this move would pave the way for the unregulated proliferation of private universities across the state.

The CPI leader warned that the Bill could have serious consequences by enabling the government to withdraw its role in crucial areas of higher education management. These areas include student admissions, fee structures, the appointment of Vice-Chancellors and Pro Vice-Chancellors, and the constitution of governing councils.

Veerapandian pointed out that such provisions would weaken the policy framework based on social justice and reservation, thereby diluting the government's responsibility in ensuring equitable access to higher education for all sections of society. He stated that the amendment would lead to the mushrooming of private universities like parasites, endangering the very essence of public education.

He strongly urged the State government to immediately consider the concerns raised by education experts, senior academicians, and student organisations and withdraw the Private Universities (Amendment) Bill.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary