Former Rajasthan CM Gehlot slams UGC draft rules for undermining higher education

Gehlot claims the new UGC rules will severely damage the country’s higher education system and appear to be designed to ensure a deeper infiltration of RSS ideologies and personnel into the nation's universities.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.(Photo | X)
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JAIPUR: The University Grants Commission's (UGC) draft regulations for appointing vice-chancellors and academic staff in universities have sparked major controversy, with former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot strongly criticising the proposed changes.

Gehlot claims the new UGC rules will severely damage the country’s higher education system and appear to be designed to ensure a deeper infiltration of RSS ideologies and personnel into the nation's universities.

Expressing his concerns on the social media platform X, Gehlot stated, "It seems that the draft rules made by UGC for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors and academic staff in universities have been designed to initiate the process of installing RSS ideologues in educational institutions."

According to Gehlot, the proposed rules suggest that vice-chancellors would no longer be required to have an academic background, with the central government assuming authority over appointments even in state universities.

He further highlighted that the rules could potentially limit the number of contractual professors to just 10 per cent, thereby making it easier to appoint preferred candidates as professors.

Gehlot warned, "These rules will ruin our higher education system by allowing incompetent individuals to take over universities. This is a direct attack on the federal structure of the country as it diminishes the rights of state governments."

He urged state governments and the academic community to oppose the proposed regulations, emphasising that such changes would degrade the quality of higher education and jeopardise the nation's educational future.

The UGC's draft rules have ignited a fierce debate, with critics like Gehlot arguing that the proposed measures could politicise academia and compromise educational standards.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
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