The state needed powers to exercise control over these universities and supervision of admissions and fixing fee structure.

The Government of Tamil Nadu has sought additional powers from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in India to enable it exercise control over deemed universities in the state.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, in a letter sent to the MHRD, said the state needed powers to exercise control over these universities and supervision of admissions and fixing fee structure.

Earlier this month, the Ministry granted deemed university status to the private Chettinad Medical College without the recommendation of the state government.

Such self-financing professional colleges, after securing the deemed university status, could take students and fix the fee structure.

Moreover, these institutions were now not required to surrender seats to the government under the new quota guidelines, the official said, adding that this has deprived the state of 83 seats under the government quota.

Till now, private players needed to take mandatory clearance from the state's Health Department for establishing self-financing medical colleges. Only after completing the process would the Medical Council of India gave them permission to run medical colleges.