UGC revises guidelines for appointment of V-Cs

UGC revises guidelines for appointment of V-Cs

Major move: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan releases the draft UGC Regulations, 2025 in New Delhi on Monday.ANI

Draft has given powers to Chancellors or Visitors to constitute three-member panel to appoint V-Cs; commission has given 30 days for stakeholders and public to offer comments on proposals

A.M. Jigeesh 07.01.2025

New Delhi

The University Grants Commission has revised the selection process for Vice-Chancellors, according to the draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025, released here on Monday by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Clearing the ambiguity, the UGC has given the powers to Chancellors or Visitors to constitute the three-member search-cum-selection committee to appoint Vice-Chancellors.

Non-implementation of the guidelines may result in debarring an institution from participating in UGC schemes or from offering degree programmes, the draft says.

The UGC has given 30 days for the stakeholders and public to offer comments on the draft.

The governments in several non-BJP-ruled States such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala were on a conflict path with the Governors — also Chancellors of several State-run universities — over appointment of Vice-Chancellors. So far, the governments used to constitute the search committees for appointing Vice-Chancellors, and if approved, the draft allows Governors (if they are Chancellors) to appoint the search committees for the process.

“The selection for the Vice-Chancellor post shall be through an all-India newspaper advertisement and public notification. Applications can also be sought through nomination or a talent search process by a search-cum-selection committee,” the draft regulations say.

A nominee of the Visitor/Chancellor will be the Chairperson of the search-cum-selection Committee. A nominee of the Chairman, UGC, and a nominee of the apex body of the university such as Syndicate, Senate, Executive Council, Board of Management or equivalent body will be members in the committee. The State Cabinets used to recommend the chancellor’s nominee for this committee, but in many States the Governors changed this norm and started nominating their person for the committee, leading to conflicts with the States.

Releasing the draft, Mr. Pradhan said the guidelines would infuse innovation, inclusivity, flexibility and dynamism in every aspect of higher education, empower teachers and academic staff, strengthen academic standards and pave the way for achieving educational excellence.

Explaining the provision, UGC Charman Jagadesh Kumar said individuals could qualify for faculty positions based on their performance in a subject of their choice in UGC - National Eligibility Test. “Also, the subject of the Ph.D. degree precedes the disciplines studied in undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for faculty selections. This is an important flexibility to remove rigid subject boundaries and allow faculty applicants to transition across disciplines,” Professor Kumar said.