
KOCHI: Worried over new UGC regulations, which it feels would rob the state universities of their autonomy, the Kerala government is planning to garner the support of other state governments to exert concerted pressure on the Union government to withdraw the contentious clauses in the proposed guidelines.
Terming the new regulations “concerning and disappointing”, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Union government and the UGC are adopting an approach aimed at destabilising the universities under state governments.
“State universities function according to acts formulated by elected legislative assemblies, and the creation of such regulations undermines this autonomy. The Union government and the UGC should refrain from such actions and respect the autonomy of universities and the rights of state governments in matters concerning education,” Pinarayi said, inaugurating the ‘International Conclave on Next-Gen Higher Education’, at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), Kalamassery on Tuesday.
Later, Higher Education Minister R Bindu told TNIE that the state government will reach out to other states on the issue. State governments have especially taken affront to the section regarding the appointment of Vice Chancellors of state universities.
“A meeting of education ministers will be convened to chalk out a future course of action. The state government will be sending a letter to the Union government to express our reservations on the new draft regulations,” she said.
New draft regulations give more powers to governor on VC selection
As per the new draft regulations, the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the higher education institutions in the states, has been given complete power over selection of VCs of the state universities. In the past, the state government constituted the selection committee for the appointment of the VC. It had three members.
One of the members was appointed by the UGC, one was elected by the Syndicate and the remaining member was nominated by the state government. The VC was then selected by the Governor from the three names recommended by the committee.
But as per the new regulations, the selection committee will be constituted by the Chancellor. The three members will be one from the UGC, one nominated by the Chancellor and one from the syndicate. The state government, which is the main funding agency of the university, will have no say in the matter.
The state government believes that this will lead to unsolicited political intervention in the state universities and is an attack on federalism. Apprehensions also have been raised regarding the eligibility criteria of the candidates who can apply for the post of the VC. As per 2018 regulations, the person applying for the post of VC should have an academic background.
But, the new regulations give an opening for those from bureaucratic and industry backgrounds to apply for the post. As per the new clause, a senior-level person in industry, public administration, or public policy and or public sector undertakings with a proven track record of significant academic or scholarly contributions shall be eligible to be appointed as the VC. This has raised concerns that it will lead to the corporatisation of public education institutions.
By pursuing such actions, the UGC and the Union Government fail to recognise that these efforts could lead to the collapse of a publicly funded higher education system that is efficient, ultimately paving the way for more private educational institutions, Pinarayi said. “Already, numerous private universities operate across the country, many of which do not even adhere to UGC regulations. If these attempts continue, they will not only harm public universities but also undermine the very integrity of the UGC itself, the chief minister said.