Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], February 20: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the National Convention on the Draft University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2025 on Thursday, aimed at discussing the implications of the proposed provisions.
In his address, CM Vijayan expressed concerns that the draft regulations threaten the autonomy of universities and work towards centralising higher education, potentially undermining federal values. “These regulations threaten the autonomy of universities and aim to centralise higher education, undermining federal values. Academic freedom must be protected,” he wrote in a post on X.
The Draft UGC Regulations were released by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on January 6, 2025. Since then, various state governments, including Kerala, have raised objections, calling the provisions an “attack on the idea of federalism.”
The convention saw the participation of Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu, elected representatives from states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and leaders from various political organizations. The discussion revolved around the proposed UGC regulations, which the participants argued would diminish the role of state governments in managing state universities while increasing central authority.
One of the key demands raised during the convention was that state governments should retain their rights in determining administrative aspects of universities, particularly in appointing Vice Chancellors. The convention emphasized that the UGC’s move to completely take over the selection committee for appointing VCs was an authoritarian measure that needs to be reversed.
Furthermore, the leaders demanded the withdrawal of the proposal to appoint Vice Chancellors without academic credentials. The convention also criticized the UGC’s insistence on academic content as a mandatory criterion for compliance, viewing it as a violation of the legislative mandate granted to the UGC.
The leaders at the convention also called on the UGC to respect the rights of state governments, particularly in relation to the New Education Policy (NEP). They expressed concerns over the imposition of NEP proposals as mandatory and the punitive actions threatened against violators, calling these measures “dictatorial” and detrimental to federalism.
In conclusion, the convention urged the UGC to restrain its authority and respect the states’ right to legislate on education matters.