TS Assembly passes private universities Bill

Opposition parties, however, want legislation to be referred to a select committee

The Telangana Assembly on Wednesday passed a legislation permitting establishment of private universities in the State with an aim to provide qualitative, research oriented, industry relevant and world class higher education.

The passage of the Bill was preceded by walkout by the BJP, Telugu Desam and CPI (M) with demands such as re-look of the legislation by a select committee to its outright withdrawal. Outside, student organisations staged protests on the university and college campuses against introduction of the Bill.

Responding to Opposition charge that the government was promoting private universities at the cost of State universities, Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari told the House that the government was not rolling out a red carpet to private universities. The government will not give them any land. If they wanted to have tie-ups with foreign universities, Mr. Srihari said, they will have to follow all statutes of the Centre as also guidelines issued by All India Council for Technical Education and University Grants Commission.

Except Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Goa, private universities were permitted in all the other 26 States and a few Union Territories, Mr. Sriahri said. After the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh passed its own private universities Bill in 2016, as many as eleven universities are coming up there.