High Court directs BU to collect charges from autonomous colleges only within parameters of UGC regulations

Bharathiar University was directed by the Madras High Court on Thursday, through an interim order, to collect charges from autonomous colleges only within the parameters of UGC regulations.

Justice K. Surendar passed the interim order and listed the matter for hearing on November 25, 2026.

The writ petition filed by Association of Self Financing Arts, Science and Management Colleges of Tamil Nadu (ASFASM TN) had sought a directive to the respondents: the State of Tamil Nadu represented by then Principal Secretary to the Government, Higher Education Department, the Registrar of Bharathiar University, and University Grants Commission, to desist from demanding and collecting affiliation fee, continuation of provisional affiliation fee and permanent affiliation fee from the Autonomous Colleges contrary to Clause 3.5 of the University Grants Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2023.

The association was also against the university’s insistence on prior approval for starting certificate/diploma courses and U.G./P.G. programmes, pointing out that it was a violation of Clause 10 of UGC Regulations, 2023.