THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The governor has conveyed to the chief minister his disagreement over a contentious directive issued by the higher education secretary to the vice-chancellors (VCs) on participation in Thursday’s state-sponsored national convention against the UGC draft regulations. Following the intervention of Rajendra Arlekar, the government made a token amendment to the directive, besides altering the title of the event, dropping the word ‘against’.
After a few VCs informed him of the “unprecedented” directive asking them not only to attend the convention, but also to ensure participation of teachers, non-teaching staff and students and meet the expenses from the varsity funds, Arlekar rang up Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and conveyed his disagreement.
“The governor told the CM that the directive amounted to a transgression into the autonomy of universities. The impropriety in VCs attending the convention, that opposes a regulation of the UGC, was also pointed out to the CM,” said a source.
Pinarayi directed the higher education secretary to look into the matter. The government issued an amended directive late on Wednesday night, only removing the number of attendees stipulated from each university and other higher educational institutions. The onus of funding continued to rest on the institutions.
Interestingly, while the old directive had mentioned the event as ‘National higher education convention against UGC draft regulations, 2025’, the new order removed the words ‘against UGC draft regulations’. The event was referred to as ‘UGC draft regulations, 2025-National Higher Education Convention’ in the amended communication to varsities and other institutions.
Guv asks VCs to give meet a miss
VCs of several state universities are unlikely to participate in the convention. The governor is learnt to have asked the VCs to stay away from the event.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu was unavailable for comment. A senior official in the higher education department said there was no impropriety in the VCs attending the event. “The state assembly has unanimously passed a resolution against the latest UGC draft regulations. In such a scenario, the objection of the VCs of universities ,funded by the state government, appears to be strange,” the official added.
“It is for the first time that the state government is directing universities to spend its funds and mobilise its staff and students to host a convention against the country’s apex body in the higher education sector,” pointed out a Vice-Chancellor preferring anonymity.
Controversial directive
Universities and other higher educational institutions directed to provide duty leave and issue participation certificates to the attendees of the convention Kerala University asked to ensure participation of 400 people for the event Other varsities and institutions also assigned a specified number of people to be brought for the convention.