CHENNAI: A rarity of both the Dravidian majors — ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK — wholeheartedly coming together in the Assembly on an issue without any reservations was witnessed on Thursday when the AIADMK strongly backed the resolution moved by Chief Minister MK Stalin demanding the immediate withdrawal of the new UGC’s draft regulations regarding the appointment of vice-chancellors.
Going a step further, the AIADMK even urged the CM to launch a national-level struggle to stop this move by getting the support of CMs of other states as he did in the case of NEET and the ‘One Nation One Election’, which was interestingly supported by AIADMK.
The principal opposition party described the centre’s move as a war waged against the state government to snatch away its rights.
“The AIADMK registers its strongest condemnation for the attempt to snatch away the autonomy of the excellent higher education institutions of Tamil Nadu and the rights of the state. According to the Constitution, the subject of education is in the Concurrent List. However, the UGC releasing the draft regulations unilaterally is against the Constitution,” said AIADMK MLA and former minister Agri SS Krishnamurthi, taking part in the discussion on the resolution.
He said that the AIADMK would oppose any legislation brought by the union government, which goes against the interest of TN and urged the centre to withdraw the draft.
Krishnamurthi said significant changes, including the removal of state government’s nominee, have been proposed in the draft guidelines regarding the constitution of the search committees for selecting the vice chancellors, which would grant more powers to the governor in selecting the V-Cs
He further said the relaxation proposed in UGC’s regulations on the qualification criteria for V-Cs to allow industry people to apply for the post and enabling the outsourcing of certain appointments are against reservation policies. “What is the reason for such a step in the education sector? They are trying to impose Hindi and the policies of the centre indirectly,” Krishnamurthi said.
Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan, referring to the suggestion of PMK floor leader GK Mani, said the government would expedite the hearing of the case pending before the SC regarding its opposition to inclusion of a fourth member, a nominee of the UGC chairperson, to the V-C search committee. Mani said a favourable verdict from the SC would help the state government.
DMK MLA CVMP Ezhilarasan said the draft regulations were given to the states without translated versions in respective languages. The DMK MLA, who is also the secretary of the party’s students wing, said on behalf of the Federation of Students Organisations-TN, a massive demonstration would be staged against the draft regulations on Friday in Chennai.
Opposition views blacked out during live telecast: EPS
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday charged that the views expressed by opposition parties are being blacked out during the live telecast of the proceedings. “Do the opposition benches threaten you so much, Chief Minister MK Stalin? If the question ‘Yaar andha sir’ bothers you so much, I ask again - who is this government trying to safeguard,” Palaniswami said in his tweet. Meanwhile, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, RB Udhayakumar also raised this issue in the Assembly. Responding, speaker M Appavu said this government is for all and would not give any direction to black out opposition’s views. He also promised to look into this issue.
AIADMK a haven for sex offenders, says minister
Transport Minister SS Sivasankar on Thursday accused AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami of spreading baseless rumours about women’s safety in Tamil Nadu to tarnish the reputation of the ‘Dravidian model’ government. Responding to Palaniswami’s demand for a CBI probe into the Anna Nagar sexual assault case, the minister highlighted that one of the suspects arrested in the case was a ward secretary of AIADMK. “This exposes the AIADMK’s hypocrisy in safeguarding its own members involved in such crimes,” he said. He said that AIADMK had become a haven for sex offenders, referring to the ‘involvement’ of the party’s members in the Pollachi case and the recent case of a hidden camera being found in a changing room near the Rameswaram temple.