The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday (Jan 21), urging the Centre to withdraw the draft regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the year 2025 and introduce new guidelines only after discussing them with state governments and academic experts.

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Earlier on Monday (Jan 20), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to take back the draft UGC guidelines. He also urged other non-BJP-led states to pass resolutions against it.

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What is UGC row?

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The University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently released two new draft guidelines which were unveiled by the Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan on January 6.

The draft regulations include the “minimum qualifications for appointment and promotion of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education institutions.”

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The guidelines outline the eligibility parameters required for the appointments and promotions of the teachers and staff in higher education institutions (HEIs). It includes positions including Assistant Professors, Librarians, Directors of Physical Education, Principals, and Vice-Chancellors.

The revised selection process for Vice-Chancellors in the draft has become the key focus, which allows the appointment of individuals without an academic background. The move is being viewed as an attempt by the BJP-led Centre to encroach on the autonomy of non-BJP-ruled states.

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Opposition against the draft guidelines

“These guidelines are a clear infringement on the rights of state governments and will have far-reaching consequences on the autonomy of our universities,” Stalin told the chief ministers of non-BJP-ruled states. “It is crucial that we stand united against these attempts to centralize power and undermine the federal structure of our country.”

The resolution presented by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Assembly stated: “It is the unanimous opinion of the Assembly that the draft UGC guidelines, 2025, which do not conform to Constitutional principles and completely overrule the suggestions of the state governments in the appointment of the vice-chancellor of universities, are against the federal system in the country.”

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“The provisions in the draft UGC guidelines to appoint vice-chancellors from those in the private sector will lead to commercialisation of the higher education sector and erode the integrity of the sector,” it added.

(With inputs from agencies)