The Aided College Teachers’ Association (ACTA) has condemned the draft regulations 2025 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) pertaining to the appointment of vice-chancellors, saying if adopted, they could weaken higher education institutions (HEIs).
Released by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, recently, the proposal provides broader control to the Governor in constituting the search panel and “poses an academic danger in selecting non-academics to hold these academic posts,” said the association.
In a statement, S. Sahaya Sathish, general secretary, ACTA, said the UGC’s move to ‘de-democratise’ the university system would worsen the academic and administrative condition in the universities.
“Even now the posts of Vice-Chancellors are kept vacant in many universities because of the friction between the Governor and the State Government of Tamil Nadu. If this new draft proposal is adopted, it will further escalate this friction,” said the statement.
It added that colleges had also been warned by the UGC over losing their affiliation to universities and grants if they fail to adopt the regulations.
“The UGC was created in 1956 for limited purposes of coordination among state universities, consultation, and distribution of financial assistance to HEIs. The self-assumed arbitrary authorities over state HEIs, including the state universities created by state legislation and financially sustained by State’s funds is violative of constitutional federal arrangement,” said the statement.
Published – January 15, 2025 07:14 pm IST
