New Representatives, including the ministers for higher education, from seven states have passed a 15-point joint resolution opposing the new draft rules of the University Grants Commission (UGC), as well as grading of higher education institutions based on the New Education Policy-2020.
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 on Wednesday (February 5), where they discussed the 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, drafted by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, as per a report by The Hindu.
The states raised multiple objections to the draft regulations and understated that the proposed rules violate the “federal set-up” of governance, urging the Union government to withdraw it.
Also read: Why the UGC Draft Regulations Amount to a Fresh Assault on Academic Freedoms
According to a report by The Indian Express, representatives from Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Punjab, who could not attend the meeting due to Assembly elections in Delhi, have also announced their opposition to the draft UGC regulations.
The Union government had released the draft UGC rules on January 6 for feedback.
Among other changes, the new draft rules proposed to revise the process for appointing teaching and administrative staff and granting chancellors more authority in selecting vice chancellors. It would apply to central, state, private and deemed universities.
‘Impinges on state rights’
“The state governments must be given a pivotal role in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors to state public universities. The draft UGC regulations do not envisage any role for the state governments in these appointments, which impinges on the legitimate rights of the states in a federal set-up. The regulations curtail the rights of the states in constituting the search-cum-selection committees for selection of Vice-Chancellors,” read the resolution passed by the states.
‘Weakens accountability’
Tamil Nadu higher education minister Govi Chezhian said, “Education is intrinsically linked to the culture, language, and local needs of each state, making it essential that state governments retain control over key decisions. While states provide land, infrastructure, and resources to universities and students, the draft UGC regulations deny them any role in appointing vice-chancellors, which is a fundamental overreach. This exclusion not only disregards the state’s investment in education but also weakens the accountability and effectiveness of higher education governance.”
Sridhar Babu, Telangana minister for IT and industry called the regulation as “drastic and draconian”.
Also read: UGC Draft Regulations Now Draw JD(U) Criticism; Kerala 2nd State to Adopt Resolution Against It
UGC chairman responds
Meanwhile, UGC chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar, responded to the opposition and said that the new draft “aims to ensure the highest standards in universities by introducing a more inclusive and transparent selection process.”
It seeks to “uphold the autonomy and accountability of higher education institutions,” he said and added, “The primary objective is to enhance the quality of education, promote research innovation, align university governance with global best practices, and fulfil the transformative vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. We welcome constructive feedback and work collaboratively to strengthen our country’s higher education system.”
