NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday said it has received more than 15,000 suggestions from stakeholders on the draft UGC regulations 2025.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Majumdar said as part of the consultation process, the University Grants Commission (UGC) uploaded the draft UGC (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) regulations 2025 in the public domain on January 6 for feedback, suggestions and wider consultations.
“UGC has received more than 15,000 suggestions, so far. The feedback is at various stages of analyses and deliberations,” said the minister to a question from CPI(M) leader John Brittas on whether the UGC received feedback from stakeholders objecting to the proposals in the draft regulations.
The minister said the draft UGC regulations strongly uphold and reinforce India’s federal structure by balancing national standards and state autonomy in higher education.
“These regulations are designed to ensure academic excellence while respecting the diverse educational frameworks of different states. These regulations propose a three-member search-cum-selection committee for appointment of Vice Chancellors. These members are to be nominated by impartial statutory bodies to ensure transparency in the selection process as well as to ensure autonomy of the universities,” Majumdar said.
The controversial draft regulations have led to a political slugfest with non-BJP-led states opposing the move, claiming that it gives overarching power to the centrally appointed governors in selecting and appointing the Vice-Chancellors in the universities.
According to the draft regulations, industry experts and senior professionals from public administration, public policy, and public sector undertakings might soon be eligible for appointment as vice-chancellors. The draft norms have also given power to chancellors or visitors to constitute the three-member search-cum-selection committee to appoint vice-chancellors.
The new guidelines will also amend the norms for hiring faculty members in universities, allowing people with postgraduate degrees in Master of Engineering (M.E) and Masters of Technology (MTech), with at least 55 per cent marks, to be directly recruited to the Assistant Professor level without qualifying for the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET).
