Congress on Thursday hit out at the Narendra Modi government over several institutions of national importance functioning without regular heads, saying higher education in the country is "paying the price for being Modified".
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report claiming that 37 of 155 institutions of national importance (INIs) are currently functioning with interim, in-charge or acting vice-chancellors (VCs) or directors, or with officials holding additional charge or serving on extensions.
"This is indeed an unacceptable state of affairs -- 37 out of 155 Institutions of National Importance do not have a regular, full-time head," Ramesh said in a post on X.
He said 20 of the 48 central universities, 10 of the 25 IIITs, three of the 21 IIMs and three of the 31 NITs do not have a regular, full-time VC or director who is not on extension.
"And when there are regular, full-time VCs/Directors, the less said about a number of them the better," the Congress leader said.
"Higher education in India is paying the price for being Modified," Ramesh added.
(With inputs from PTI)