THE NEW PLAYERS

Gujarat government paved the way for 11 new private universities in the state this year. Activists fearing rising cost of education and seek better regulation of private institutions.

- Sheena Sachdeva

On March 31, 2022, the Gujarat Assembly passed the Gujarat Private Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022, at once allowing 11 new private universities to open campuses in the state. Since the bill was introduced on the last day of the state assembly's budget session, it passed without much debate, discussion or opposition, argued its critics.

Of the 11, two are by two major corporate houses - Adani University in Ahmedabad linked to Gautam Adani's Adani Group and TransStadia University under TransStadia Limited, a Mumbai-headquartered sports development organisation founded by Udit. Sheth. The TransStadia university has campuses in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

The other universities include Gandhinagar University and SKIPS University in Gandhinagar; Dr. Subhash University and Noble University in Junagadh; MK University in Patan; Vidhyadeep University in Surat; Maganbhai Adenwala Mahagujarat University in Nadiad, Kheda; and Lokbharati University for Rural Innovation, Bhavnagar.

A section of education activists and academics have been against the Gujarat government allowing so many private institutions at once. For them, it signals the state's retreat from funding and expanding public education. The 11 new universities will make Gujarat the state with the highest number of private universities. Others, however, believe the introduction of private players is needed, provided they are properly regulated.

"It's all about privatising education and handing it over to corporations. A decade ago, there were only seven private universities [in Gujarat]. Now, it's 54," said Rimmi Vaghela, research scholar and secretary, All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), Gujarat.

No opposition