The allocation for the Higher Education Department in Tamil Nadu Revised Budget 2026-27 presented on August 5, 2026 has dropped by ₹101 crore compared to last fiscal year prompting sharp response from educationists and activists. Reacting to the budget, G. Thiruvasagam, former vice-chancellor of University of Madras, said that Tamil Nadu’s 20-odd universities have over 50% vacancies in faculty positions. Although Tamil Nadu universities and colleges have fared better than others in the country in NIRF rankings, poor funding from the government has begun to take a toll. “If we are to attract better and more students to our universities, we need to increase funding several times,” he added. The decrease in allocation to Higher Education at a time when universities were facing a financial crisis contradicts the government’s stated policy of strengthening higher education, he added.