Kerala's proposed private universities law remains in limbo as it awaits presidential assent, Higher Education Minister Roji M John said on Thursday, indicating that the state government is working to resolve technical issues linked to the legislation.
Responding to a query from NDTV on when private universities would be allowed to operate in Kerala, the minister said the bill had already been passed unanimously by the Assembly during the previous Left government but was subsequently referred by the Governor for the President's approval.
"There are certain technicalities involved. We are trying to clear those issues and secure presidential assent. Once that happens, we can move ahead with establishing private universities in Kerala," the minister said.
"It was passed by the Assembly. We have some reservations about certain features of the bill, but there is a unanimous view that the state needs private universities," the minister said.
The legislation, passed by the Assembly in March 2025, marked a significant policy shift in Kerala's higher education sector, where the Left government moved away from its long-standing opposition to private participation in higher education.
The bill was introduced by the previous LDF government despite the Left's long-standing opposition to private participation in higher education.
The UDF government, which inherited the legislation after assuming office, has indicated that it intends to proceed with the policy once the required clearances are obtained from the Centre.
The move is aimed at addressing the growing number of students leaving Kerala for higher studies in other states and abroad. The government hopes that allowing private universities to establish campuses in the state will expand higher education opportunities and help retain students and investment within Kerala.
The law also includes several safeguards. Forty per cent of seats in every course will be reserved for students from Kerala, while existing reservation benefits and scholarship provisions for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students will continue. Institutions seeking to establish universities must have prior experience in the education sector, maintain a minimum 10-acre campus, and deposit a corpus fund of Rs 25 crore with the state government.
The legislation does not permit foreign universities to establish campuses in Kerala.
"We hope the President will give assent," John said.
