Showcasing that the engineering studies are witnessing a lurch in Tamil Nadu, several engineering colleges have been shutting down permanently in the wake of poor enrollment. The trend has been continuing though the number varies each year. Last year, the state has seen the closure of around twenty engineering colleges and now, ten more colleges will be closed from the forthcoming academic year.  

According to reports, Anna University, which is the premier engineering institution in Tamil Nadu, has announced that ten private engineering colleges in the state will be closed permanently due to poor enrollment. Engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu are accredited by the All India Institute of Technology.

The students are admitted to engineering courses every year after seeking prior approval from the All India Institute of Technology and Anna University. According to Anna University, ten private engineering colleges didn't apply for accreditation owing to the lack of adequate student admission, due to which all these ten engineering colleges will be closed permanently from the coming academic year. 

It is pertinent to note that around twenty engineering colleges were shut down for the academic year 2021-22 in Tamil Nadu. The state has 1,51,870 undergraduate seats across 440 engineering colleges. Last year, 460 engineering institutions were admitting students in various branches. It was reported that eighteen engineering colleges were shut down last year while five more colleges were barred from conducting admissions due to alleged violation of All India Council of Technical Education norms. 

Amidst the growing number of new engineering colleges, the institutions have been under scrutiny over their quality of education. Last year, the eighteen colleges were asked to shut down due to not having a viable infrastructure to continue operations. Speaking about the development, Balagurusamy, the former Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, had then said that over a hundred self-funded engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu must be closed as these institutions do not have proper faculty, infrastructure, and labs.