Published Oct 06, 2026 | 6:22 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 06, 2026 | 6:22 PM
The CPI(M) said several government universities and colleges in Tamil Nadu were facing a shortage of teaching staff.
Synopsis: CPI(M) Tamil Nadu has condemned the approval for the University of Western Australia to establish its first campus in Chennai, saying it would promote the commercialisation and privatisation of higher education. The party pointed to staff shortages in government institutions, with 30 percent to 50 percent of teaching posts vacant across 21 State universities and 7,198 faculty posts vacant in government arts colleges, and urged the Union and Tamil Nadu governments to withdraw the approval.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Tamil Nadu State Committee has condemned the approval granted to the University of Western Australia (UWA) to establish its first campus in Tamil Nadu, in the Velachery area of Chennai.
In a statement issued on 6 October, CPI(M) State Secretary P. Shanmugam said the University Grants Commission (UGC) had granted final approval for the foreign university, with the Tamil Nadu government also giving its consent.
The party said allowing foreign universities was part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and said that it would promote the commercialisation of higher education and create institutions accessible primarily to affluent sections.
It pointed out that Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra had already permitted foreign universities and said Tamil Nadu was now joining the list. It also criticised the Tamil Nadu government for introducing amendments in September 2026 to encourage private universities, calling the approval for UWA another step towards the privatisation of higher education.
The CPI(M) urged both the Union and Tamil Nadu governments to withdraw the approval.
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The party also raised concerns over the tuition fees listed by UWA on its website. It said first-year fees included around ₹23.10 lakh for an MBA, ₹17.93 lakh for Artificial Intelligence, and ₹14.52 lakh each for Business Management and Data Science, apart from other charges.
The CPI(M) argued that such fees would put foreign university education beyond the reach of lower- and middle-income students. It also claimed that the absence of central government regulation over fees charged by foreign universities could lead to unchecked fee increases.
The party said allowing a foreign university while government universities and colleges continued to face inadequate infrastructure and vacancies would adversely affect access to education, reservation and social justice.
The CPI(M) said several government universities and colleges in Tamil Nadu were facing a shortage of teaching staff. According to the statement, 30 percent to 50 percent of teaching posts remained vacant across 21 universities, while 7,198 faculty positions were vacant in government arts colleges.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)
