Bill amends TN Pvt Univs Act on land requirement
While passing the Bill, State Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan told the House that the act enables the establishment of a private university afresh without any consideration to any existing educational institutions
Govi Chezhiaan Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Assembly, which passed a Bill to further amend the Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act 2019, said that setting up these institutions does not require 100 acres of land.
While passing the Bill, State Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan told the House that the act enables the establishment of a private university afresh without any consideration to any existing educational institutions.
He said of late, existing private colleges in the state having adequate facilities for teaching, research, examination, and extension services are evincing interest in starting private universities so as to explore advanced research in education and also to start contemporary courses in collaboration with global universities.
According to the minister, as per the act, 100 acres of contiguous land were required for the establishment of private universities in Tamil Nadu.
Early this year, releasing the report of the expert committee constituted to determine land requirements for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the University Grants Commission pointed out that the cities are growing exponentially and even urban spaces make up 3% of the country's area, they account for a staggering 60% of its GDP, which is driving increased demand for higher education. The report had said that for setting up private universities in the urban areas of Tamil Nadu, the minimum requirement of land would be 100 acres as per the Tamil Nadu Private University Act 2019.
Meanwhile, in the Assembly on Wednesday it was mentioned that educational institutions which are operating in municipal corporation areas, the municipal council areas and town panchayat areas are finding it very difficult to identify such a huge extent of contiguous land.
He said if the requirement of land is reduced in line with the acts of private universities of the other neighbouring states, requests of eligible and deserving educational institutions may be considered.
"Hence in the interest of students' community and to promote Higher Education and in order to simplify the norms for establishment of private universities in the state the government has decided to amend the act,” he added.