Tamil Nadu Defends Lower Land, Endowment Norms for Private Universities

Tamil Nadu's Higher Education Minister, P. Viswanathan, has defended the State government's move to relax the land and endowment requirements for private universities, saying the change is intended to draw world-class institutions to the State.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Thursday after attending the graduation day of a private women's college, Mr. Viswanathan said the Tamil Nadu Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was framed to enable integrated universities with strong syllabi, curricula, faculty and infrastructure, on the lines of institutions such as Oxford.

He said Tamil Nadu had long been an education hub and needed universities of global standing, which was why the requirements had been lowered. Multinational companies in manufacturing and IT services were entering India and looking to Tamil Nadu for recruitment, he added.

The Minister said the objective was not to help existing colleges expand into universities but to invite fresh institutions with world-class facilities. His department, he said, would hold a large conclave of placement officers from colleges across the State to build internships, industrial visits and employment opportunities into its broader "integrated education" model.

The Assembly passed the Bill on Tuesday (September 8), amending the Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act, 2019. Under the amended provisions, the minimum contiguous land requirement is 12 acres within Greater Chennai Corporation limits, 18 acres in other municipal corporations and councils, and 25 acres for the rest of the State. The Bill also reduces the permanent endowment fund requirement to ₹25 crore.