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With less than a week for the UGC’s deadline to submit feedback on its draft regulations on the appointment and promotion of university teachers and Vice-Chancellors (V-C), States ruled by parties other than the BJP have ratcheted up their opposition. At a conclave in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka challenged the regulations, saying they would undermine the federal structure, diminish the powers of State legislatures, and weaken the autonomy of State universities. This is the second such conclave, with a previous meeting in Bengaluru including the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand, and expressions of solidarity from Punjab. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the main Opposition parties are also supportive of the stances of the ruling parties there; some regional parties that belong to the BJP-led NDA have reportedly expressed their concerns in private. A key concern is the UGC’s proposal to play an enhanced role in the selection and appointment of V-Cs of State universities. Under the new regulations, the search-cum-selection committees will comprise nominees of the Chancellor (usually the Governor in State universities), the UGC Chairman, and the University syndicate or senate, neatly cutting out State Higher Education departments which were responsible for setting up these expert panels. The Chancellor will appoint the V-C from the list of three to five names shortlisted by the selection committee. UGC chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar has argued that the proposed structure “eliminates ambiguity and ensures a more transparent process”, but States oppose the centralisation of power, leaving many State universities leaderless, especially in Tamil Nadu.
Apart from the allegation that the new regulations will dilute academic standards, increase commercialisation and politicisation, and reduce access to higher education for poor and disadvantaged students, the States have asked why they are being sidelined in university administration even while they continue to bear most of the financial costs for State-run higher education. Beyond higher education, there is a larger constitutional issue of Centre-State relations at stake: can delegated legislation such as the rules and regulations framed by the Union government and its agencies in the executive branch under a central law override the provisions of a plenary State law passed by a State legislature? The opposing States plan to send a high-level delegation to the Union Education Ministry and challenge the regulations in court, indicating a political and legal escalation of the issue. The UGC must not ignore this plethora of concerned voices and should remove anti-federal provisions from its draft before notifying the new regulations.
Published – February 22, 2025 12:10 am IST
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Southern discomfort: On UGC draft regulations
