Anna University's vice-chancellor MK Surappa triggered a controversy in Tamil Nadu after he directly wrote to the Centre in an attempt to expedite the Institute of Eminence (IoE) status for the varsity. He added that the institute had internal means to generate Rs 1570 crore in five years, implying that the financial aid from the state government was not required.

The vice-chancellor's move was criticized by officials as well as people across the state as there is a possible chance that the 69-percent reservation model followed in Tamil Nadu might be affected if the IoE status is granted to the university. Tamil Nadu's higher education minister KP Anbalagan has now said that the state government does not want the IoE tag for Anna University. Speaking to the media on Friday in Dharmapuri, the higher education minister said, "The biggest problem in it is that the 69% reservation that is being followed, for which Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa) fought during her time, will stand to be affected. There is also a chance that an entrance test for admission of students will be announced. Not just that, the fees also might increase...there are chances that more students from outside Tamil Nadu might be admitted, thus leading to our Tamil Nadu students losing out on their opportunities. Our government will not accept or agree to any of these."

"We (Anna University) are already ranking high in NIRF rankings… there is no need for an IoE tag to be given to us to rank better," he added. Regarding Surappa's request to the Centre, KP Anbalagan said, "We have asked for an explanation from the Vice Chancellor about his claim of mobilizing financial resources on its own. Based on his reply, action will be taken."