Put on hold draft UGC regulations, Chief Minister urges Union Education Minister

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to put on hold the draft University Grants Commission Regulations, 2025, (minimum qualifications for appointment and promotion of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for maintenance of standards in higher education), describing it as an infringement on the Constitutional rights of States.

In a letter to Mr. Pradhan, Mr. Vijayan asked him to initiate discussions with the States, academicians, and other stakeholders on “this matter of utmost importance.” “I am of the opinion that this is absolutely essential in our system in which a pride of place has been accorded to consensual approach and cooperative federalism,” Mr. Vijayan said.

Mr. Vijayan said the Kerala government is unable to fathom the need to exclude the State governments from the selection process of Vice-Chancellors (V-C) in universities. Constitutional provisions confer only a limited jurisdiction to the Union government in this regard, he pointed out. These provisions can in no way be stretched to keep the State governments out of matters pertaining to the selection of the V-Cs since the States have a definite interest in upholding the autonomy of the higher education sector and promoting excellence in higher centres of learning.

Further, it is undeniable that State governments provide support to universities for achieving higher quality in education and research.

Mr. Vijayan also conveyed the State’s concern over the move to consider appointing persons lacking teaching and research experience in universities as Vice-Chancellors, as proposed in the draft regulations.