New Delhi: Telangana deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has expressed strong reservations about the University Grants Commission (UGC) draft regulations, stating that they will erode the state’s autonomy. He argued that the regulations undermine the role of the state in higher education, a subject that falls under the concurrent list of the constitution.
“The very concept is like subverting the role of the state in a subject on the concurrent list of the constitution,” Bhatti Vikramarka said while speaking at the national convention on higher education organised in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday (February 20).
“Education system cannot be controlled through remote from New Delhi,” he added.
Bhatti Vikramarka specifically criticised the proposal to make an enrollment of 3,000 students a criterion for ranking and funding. He claimed that this would unfairly disadvantage higher education institutions in Telangana that serve backward areas and underprivileged sections of society. The deputy chief minister also alleged that the regulations are designed to benefit corporate interests.
“If the enrollment criterion of 3,000 students is enforced, most institutions will lose ranking and funding, severely impacting those serving backward and underprivileged sections, particularly in states like Telangana. Such provisions seem designed to benefit corporates rather than public education,” Bhatti Vikramarka said.
“Education is meant to open minds and not to close the doors,” he added.
Also read: TN CM Stalin Slams UGC’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Move to Give Governors More Power in VC Appointments
The new guidelines under the draft UGC regulations for 2025 provide chancellors or visitors the authority to constitute a three-member search-cum-selection committee to appoint vice-chancellors. Since governors are chancellors of several state-run universities, this move may potentially alter the dynamics of vice-chancellor appointments, particularly in Opposition-ruled states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala, where conflicts between governments and governors have arisen.
Commenting on the same, Bhatti Vikramarka said, “If this situation is allowed, states will be confined to ribbon cutting ceremonies at the inauguration of buildings.”
Further, he praised Kerala for hosting a convention to discuss the draft regulations and proposed that Telangana host the next meeting in Hyderabad to formulate a unified action plan. The deputy chief minister stressed that when the states stand united with a common objective, the Centre has to listen as the states are not mere administrative units, but “lifeline for the progress of the country”.
His comments reflect the concerns of several state governments, including Kerala, which have expressed opposition to the draft regulations.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed his disapproval stating that the regulations will create room for “politically motivated” appointments in higher education sector.
“The power to appoint VCs has been handed over to chancellors, who are governors appointed by the Centre. This creates room for politically motivated selections, which could be detrimental to the higher education sector,” Vijayan said, while speaking at the convention.
Also read: Seven States Pass Joint Resolution Opposing UGC’s New Draft Regulations
He added, “This is not an isolated incident. The Centre is increasingly infringing upon states’ autonomy, even financially. Union allocations for state schemes are declining, forcing state governments to contribute more.”
Similarly, Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin had earlier criticised the move calling it “authoritarian,” “direct assault on federalism” and “unconstitutional”.
“The new UGC regulations granting governors broader control over VC appointments and allowing non-academics to hold these posts are a direct assault on federalism and state rights. This authoritarian move by the Union BJP government seeks to centralise power and undermine democratically elected state governments. Education must remain in the hands of those chosen by the people, not dictated by Governors acting at the BJP government’s behest,” Stalin wrote on X in January.
On February 5, the representatives of six non-BJP states including Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Kerala met at the conclave of state higher education ministers, 2025, in Bengaluru and passed a 15-point joint resolution opposing the new draft rules of the UGC as well as grading of higher education institutions based on the New Education Policy, 2020.
