Joint Action Council of college teachers opposes Private Universities Amendment Bill

The Joint Action Council of College Teachers (JAC), Tamil Nadu has opposed the Tamil Nadu government’s move to convert government-aided colleges to ‘Brown field Universities’ through the Private Universities Amendment Bill that was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.

In a statement on Thursday, the JAC termed the move as an attempt to step up efforts towards privatisation of higher education in the State, thereby putting an end to dreams of poor students.

According to the Tamil Nadu Private Universities Act, 2019, a minimum of 100 acres was needed to set up a private university. However, the amendment Bill states that the requirement for a Brown field University was 25 acres in municipal corporation areas, 35 acres in municipality or town panchayat areas, and 50 acres in other areas. This, the JAC alleged, was a ploy to facilitate establishment of such universities in large numbers, thereby commercialising the higher education landscape in the State.

Moreover, the basic facilities in these aided colleges were set up using grants from MP and MLA Local Area Development Fund and the UGC. Handing them over to private parties went against all tenets of social justice. It also meant that the government was turning away from its social duty of providing quality and affordable higher education to students in the State. The move was ideologically in line with the National Education Policy, 2020, the statement said.

It was echoed by the State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu, which in a statement said that the move was a step towards establishing Type 3 higher education institutes in accordance with NEP 2020. While on one hand, poor students would be impacted, on the other, service conditions of both teaching and non-teaching staff would be affected.