Tripura opposition walks out over private university bills, flags UGC violations and ‘quality concerns’

Opposition parties in Tripura, including the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), staged a walkout from the Assembly on March 20, protesting against three bills related to the establishment of private universities, alleging lack of scrutiny and the absence of UGC approval.

The controversy erupted on the sixth day of the Tripura Legislative Assembly session when Speaker Rampada Jamatia took up the bills for passage. Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury raised serious concerns over the lack of transparency and details in the proposed legislations.

Questioning the Science Technology and Allied Skill University, Tripura Bill, 2026, Chaudhury said there was little publicly available information about the institution or the Bharat Educational and Cultural Trust of Hapur mentioned in the bill. He alleged that universities were being approved without infrastructure or faculty while offering a wide range of courses, including PhD programmes. “This is quantity education, not quality. It will harm the country,” he said, demanding that the bills be sent to a select committee for detailed scrutiny.

Echoing similar concerns, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman criticised the credibility of the institutions linked to the proposals, alleging the absence of UGC approval and questioning their authenticity. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the bills and accountability for officials involved in the process.

Defending the government’s move, Higher Education Minister Kishore Barman said that all necessary guidelines of the University Grants Commission were being followed and that the proposals had undergone due scrutiny at the cabinet level. He maintained that all parameters were being verified to ensure proper systems before final approval.

However, as the House moved towards passing the bills, opposition members protested in the well and subsequently staged a walkout, intensifying the political confrontation over the issue.