Opposition-Ruled States Adopt Joint Resolution Against UGC Draft Rules (image: x.com/pinarayivijayan)
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Thursday (February 20) hosted a national convention opposing the Draft UGC Regulations, 2025 at the Legislative Assembly Complex in Thiruvananthapuram. The convention, inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was attended by like-minded states and stakeholders to formulate a collective response against the Central government and the University Grants Commission (UGC). The states had unanimously passed a 15-point resolution mainly involving the withdrawal of the proposed regulations that reduces state autonomy in higher education and threat to federal structure.
Slamming the regulations, Pinarayi Vijayan said, it can be looked as an effort to “undermine democratic values in higher education and to place the sector under the control of those promoting religious and communal ideologies,” the New Indian Express reports as Chief Minister saying.
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In January itself, the Kerala legislative assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution urging for Centre’s immediate withdrawal of the regulations and also sought to review the proposed norms and introduce a fresh set of guidelines after careful consultations with interests of all parties considered. Earlier, the Kerala government had appointed a five-member committee, led by economist Professor Prabhat Patnaik, to frame Kerala’s official response.
The Controversial Draft UGC Regulations, 2025
The UGC in early January has released the draft of its 2025 regulations concerning academic appointments and promotions in align with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The proposal envisaged to replace the existing “UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education” notified in 2018 (UGC 2018).
One of the controversial position in the recent draft is, Chancellor, i.e., the state Governor to be vested with power in appointing VCs of state universities. It removes the earlier practice wherein a search-cum-selection committee formulated from the higher education departments to recommend a shortlist of 3-5 candidates by public notification. Among them, the Chancellor would pick a name from the suggested list. Furthermore, the plan to make non-academics eligible for the VC’s role has also invited criticism as it could result in the appointment of people preferred by the Central government.
When the appointments have come to be increasingly governed by non-academic factors, the political and ideological leanings of the individual will influence the appointments, the opposing voices argue. Such mode of appointments in turn impact the quality of faculty in universities, as the regulations places powers to Vice Chancellors to decide on the formulation of selection committees for faculty appointments. The appointment of non-academics as Vice Chancellors may lead to Central government may lead to consolidating the control over appointments in all universities, diminishing State’s role in even those created and funded by State governments.
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As per the proposed draft guidelines, candidates can teach subjects based on their highest academic qualification. Some other features of the draft proposals include promoting the use of Indian languages in academic publications and degree programmes; complete removal of score-based shortlisiting and introduces holistic evaluation system and dedicated recruitment pathways for sportspersons and individuals with disabilities, and prioritise promotion criteria based on teaching effectiveness, research output, and academic contributions.
The national convention was attended by Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Karnataka Higher Education Minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar and his Tamil Nadu counterpart Dr. Govi Chezhiaan, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V. D. Satheesan and legislative party leaders in the Kerala Assembly. The high-stakes convention was organised by the Kerala Higher Education Department. However, Vice Chancellors (VCs) of the state universities were absent from the proceedings.
