State rejects draft UGC norms VC APPOINTMENT
TIMES NEWS NETWORK 16.01.2025
Bengaluru : Karnataka higher education minister MC Sudhakar has written to Union minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan on Jan 13, rejecting certain provisions related to appointment of vice-chancellors. This comes after University Grants Commission (UGC) published draft 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) Regulations2024 for public consultation recently.
While urging the minister to direct UGC to withdraw the draft guidelines immediately, Sudhakar said the provisions related to the appointment of VCs struck at the core of the federal structure and the role of the state govt. “These provisions are a blow to the federal structure as well as undermine the legitimate role that the state govts play in improving higher education,” Sudhakar wrote. Elaborating further on how the draft guidelines provide no role for the state govt in selecting vice-chancellor of a university, Sudhakar said: “They provide for a search-cum-selection committee appointed by the chancellor/visitor with no nominee of the state govt.” The power to appoint the VC from the panel recommended by the committee was given solely to the chancellor/visitor, he said, adding: “The qualification required for the appointment of vice chancellor, which includes non-academicians, requires serious deliberation.”
He pointed out a contradiction to the provisions of the legislations governing universities in the state. He reaffirmed that it was the state that provides funding to administer and run public uni
versities in its jurisdiction, as well as addresses and resolves their administrative issues and grievances. In addition to this, the state govt is also answerable, in the legislature, to the questions on various activities of the universities here. “The elected govt in the state is responsible and held accountable on the issues related to the administration of universities. Therefore, excluding the state govt in the administration of state universities is unacceptable and undermines its authority,” he wrote. He looked forward to a dialogue between the UGC and state govts to assess the issues faced by universities in the present system before proposing radical changes to the existing guidelines.
versities in its jurisdiction, as well as addresses and resolves their administrative issues and grievances. In addition to this, the state govt is also answerable, in the legislature, to the questions on various activities of the universities here. “The elected govt in the state is responsible and held accountable on the issues related to the administration of universities. Therefore, excluding the state govt in the administration of state universities is unacceptable and undermines its authority,” he wrote. He looked forward to a dialogue between the UGC and state govts to assess the issues faced by universities in the present system before proposing radical changes to the existing guidelines.
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