The Association of University Teachers (AUT), Tamil Nadu, in a statement, strongly condemned the state government’s move to amend the Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act, 2019 that will enable existing private and government-aided colleges to be converted into private universities if they meet the prescribed criteria. The current law only allows greenfield institutions to be converted into private universities.
Stating that the new amendment will shift the admission process from a merit-based to a money-based system, the teachers said the “disturbing move” will deny access to students from economically weaker sections. “It may be recalled that in May 2008, when a similar move was attempted, strong public opposition emerged from alumni, parents, teachers, and the general public. The then chief minister M. Karunanidhi, intervened and assured that the DMK government will never take a stand against the teachers. Following this, the proposal was dropped,” the statement said.
The association also said that thousands of teachers and supporting staff across Tamil Nadu will be under severe job insecurity due to this move. The teachers get their salaries paid by the Tamil Nadu government as per UGC and MHRD norms and the service conditions are governed by the Private Colleges Regulation Act, 1976 and the grant-in-aid scheme of the state government.
“Once converted into private universities, these service protections will vanish, and staff will be subjected to arbitrary and exploitative private management practices without job security or retirement benefits,” the statement added.
It also said that it will also lead to maladministration in exams as there have been several incidents of mark sheet scandals and academic malpractices in the past. Under private university control, examination and evaluation systems may become opaque and unreliable, eroding academic credibility.
“We urge the government to uphold the long-standing commitment to public-funded education and the welfare of teachers, staff, and students,” said the statement from Dr K. Raja, general secretary of AUT.
