Private Universities Bill Approved

The Kerala State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Draft Bill 2025 to establish private universities in Kerala and to enact legislations to control their activities was approved by the cabinet.

Conditions for establishing private universities
1. A sponsoring agency, which has experience and credibility in education sector can apply for private university.
2. Land required for universities as stipulated by the regulatory bodies shall be under possession.
3. A corpus fund of Rs.25 crores shall be deposited in treasury.
4. If started as multi-campus university, the headquarters shall be at least 10 acres
5. The directives of UGC, state government and other regulatory agencies shall be followed in the conduct of universities, appointment of teachers, and appointment of administrative leadership including Vice Chancellor.
6. In each courses, 40% of the seats will be reserved for the natives of the state. The existing reservation policy will be applicable.
7. The fee concession/ scholarship applicable students from Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes will retained

Application procedures
1. Submit the application in the prescribed format along with detailed project report to the government
2. All details related to the administration of university including the land and the sources of resources shall be included in the project report.
3. The expert committee will review the application as per the clauses of the Act
4. A prominent academician nominated by the state government (Chairperson), a vice chancellor nominated by the state government, higher education secretary, nominee of Kerala State Education Council, a nominee of Kerala State Planning Board, collector of the district in which the private university is supposed o be established will the members in the Executive Committee.
5. The expert committee shall submit the report to the government within two months.
6. Government shall inform its decision to the sponsoring body.
7. The university shall be included in the schedule attached to the Act through the amendment to be passed by the legislative assembly.
8. The private universities shall have all powers and rights as other public universities.

Other restrictions
1. There shall not be any financial support from government. But the faculty can approach research agencies.
2. The higher education secretary and secretary of another department nominated by the state government shall be there in the governing council of private university.
3. One nominee of the state government shall be the member of the executive council of the university.
4. Three nominees of state government shall be the member of the academic council of the university.
5. The democratic rights of teachers, employees, students and non-teaching staff shall be protected and complaint redressal mechanisms will be there.
6. The rights of employees including PF shall be ensured.

Amendment in the existing Act
In the Bills, University Laws (Amendment) (No.1) Bill, 2025, approved by the cabinet held on 22/1/2025 and The University Laws (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, 2025, in the amendments regarding land owned by universities, the sub-section 2, which permits sub-centres outside the state and outside the country shall be omitted.
Special provisions shall be included in the amendment bills to avoid delay in restructuring existing syndicate, senate, academic council, faculty and board of studies when the said University Amendment Bill become legislation.
The syndicate, which was formed as per the respective university acts prior the new Act comes into existence will continue till the senate and administrative committee is formed or till the culmination of its tenure, whichever is earlier.
It was also decided to handover this for further proceedings to the department of law by including it in the draft memorandum, which was approved by the cabinet meeting held on 2/1/2025