CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s higher education sector witnessed notable achievements in 2025, but is staring at key challenges in 2026, including the elusive appointments of vice-chancellors, financial stress faced by the State universities and the need to finalise a higher education policy.
The State continued to perform strongly in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025, recording the highest number of institutions in the top-100 rank across categories. Among the institutions in the State, IIT-Madras retained its first place nationally in both the Overall and Engineering categories for the seventh consecutive year.
The Naan Mudhalvan scheme also reshaped higher education, shifting focus from traditional credential-based learning to skill development. Since its launch in 2022, around 41.3 lakh students and more than one lakh faculty members in higher education institutions have received training in emerging technologies, core industry skills, and soft skills to improve employability.
Out of the 39 announcements that Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiyan made in the Assembly this year, about 90 per cent have been implemented, said senior Higher Education Department official. He alleged that delays in completing the remaining initiatives were due to the lack of coordination within the department.
Among the most serious challenges that the sector is facing is the continuing delay in appointing vice-chancellors. Despite the Supreme Court fixing timelines for Governors and the President to provide assent to State bills in April 2025, including those granting powers regarding the appointment and dismissal of vice-chancellors, the State is still unable to fill key posts due to legal issues.
Although the government has approved recruitment of over 2,700 assistant professors in government arts and science colleges, nearly 8,000 guest lecturers remain in a legal battle seeking salaries of more than Rs 50,000 per month in line with University Grants Commission norms. “At present, we are paid only about Rs 25,000 per month,” said V Thangaraj, State president of the All Tamil Nadu Government Colleges UGC-Qualified Honorary Lecturers’ Association.
While the draft State Education Policy (SEP) for school education was released in 2025, academicians have urged the government to finalise and implement SEPs for both school and higher education. PB Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary of the State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu, said the government must seek stakeholder feedback and implement the policy without delay.
Former Anna University vice-chancellor E Balagurusamy criticised the government for not releasing a higher education policy. He added that even the school education draft was heavily borrowed from the NEP.