Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday slammed the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations of 2025, terming it as an attempt to undermine the role of state governments in higher education.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday slammed the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations of 2025, terming it as an attempt to undermine the role of state governments in higher education.
He was inaugurating the National Convention on the draft UGC regulations organised here in the backdrop of nationwide concern that the Centre's move is aimed at taking complete control of the higher education sector and making a mockery of the role of state governments.
The ministers of Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu attended the event.
The Chief Minister said as per the UGC draft regulations, the governor is bestowed with the power to appoint a vice chancellor in the universities. It strips the state governments of any role in appointing VCs and assistant professors in universities established by the states.
By granting powers to appoint VCs to Chancellors who are governors appointed by the Centre, the central government has paved the way for politically motivated selections which are detrimental to the higher education sector.
Vijayan said the opposition-ruled states including Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala have already witnessed "gubernatorial excesses" with the Governors interfering in state university affairs. The chief minister recalled how former Governor Arif Mohammad Khan had withheld assent to various university related bills forcing the state government to approach the Supreme Court.
The objective of these reforms is to inject the political agenda of the Sangh Parivar into the universities and sidelining the state governments, he said.
"It is imperative that the states unitedly raise their criticism against the Centre's policies to destroy the autonomy of universities and the democratic culture prevailing on the campuses,” the chief minister said.
Pinarayi said any move to destroy the country's higher education sector and to put the future of the country at risk, needs to be resisted with all might.
The chief minister said the academic community, including people who believe in democracy, students, researchers and teachers, must stand united to put up a strong defence against such attacks. The convention held on Friday marks the beginning of a strong resistance, he said.
"The Thiruvananthapuram meet will inspire us to have more such gatherings on this vital subject across the country," he added.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka slammed the Centre's move alleging that the UGC regulations would turn the states as "mere spectators " in their own universities.
The minister remarked that it is akin to saying, “you pay the bill, but you cannot order the food.”
The Telangana minister called upon the states to assert their demands strongly before the Centre instead of only holding discussions.
The Draft UGC Regulations were released in early January. The union education ministry claims that the objective of the guidelines is to provide universities with greater flexibility in appointing and promoting academic staff.
