Madras High Court Directs Bharathiar University to Adhere to UGC Regulations on Fee Collection from Autonomous Colleges

Coimbatore: The Madras High Court has directed Bharathiar University to collect charges from autonomous colleges strictly within the limits prescribed under the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.

The interim order was passed by Justice K. Surendar on Thursday, with the case posted for further hearing on November 25, 2026.

The order followed a writ petition filed by the Association of Self Financing Arts, Science and Management Colleges of Tamil Nadu (ASFASM TN). The association challenged the university's demand for affiliation fees, continuation of provisional affiliation fees and permanent affiliation fees from autonomous colleges, alleging that the collections were contrary to Clause 3.5 of the UGC (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2023.

The association also questioned Bharathiar University's insistence on obtaining prior approval to introduce certificate and diploma courses as well as undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. It contended that this requirement violated Clause 10 of the UGC regulations, which governs the academic autonomy of colleges.

The petition named the Tamil Nadu Government, represented by the Principal Secretary to the Higher Education Department, the Registrar of Bharathiar University and the University Grants Commission as respondents.

The High Court's interim direction requires the university to ensure that charges collected from autonomous colleges remain within the framework prescribed by the UGC regulations. The matter will come up for further hearing on November 25.