Kerala Assembly unanimously passes resolution by CM Pinarayi Vijayan, urges Union govt to withdraw UGC draft norms

Kerala CM on Tuesday presented a resolution in the state assembly requesting the central government to withdraw the UGC draft norms issued on January 6, 2025, and issue new norms.

"We are presenting this resolution at a time when there are concerns raised by state governments and academic experts. The universities in each state are working according to the laws passed by their respective state legislative assemblies," said CM while presenting the resolution.

"This House is of the clear opinion that the draft UGC norms of 2025, which do not reflect the spirit of the Constitution and completely exclude the opinions of the state governments, including in the appointment of the Vice Chancellor, are incompatible with the federal system and democracy," the resolution said.

"The draft UGC norms of 2025 can only be seen as part of a move to undermine democratic values in higher education and to crack down on those who propagate religious and communal ideas in the sector," it added.

"This House unanimously requests the Central Government to immediately withdraw the draft UGC norms of 2025, considering the opinions and concerns of the state governments and academic experts, and issue new norms only after holding detailed discussions with all the stakeholders and taking their opinions seriously," it further said.

Kerala Government will call a meeting of education ministers of opposition party-ruled states to discuss issues with UGC draft regulations. The state has already held discussions with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin.

Kerala Minister of Higher Education and Social Justice Dr. R. Bindu said, "The Assembly unanimously passed the resolution. We are determined to form joint platforms of like-minded state governments because we consider this an onslaught on the rights of the state governments in the field of education. We are spending money on maintaining universities, academics and other activities, but according to the draft guidelines, the rights hitherto maintained by state governments have been questioned. So, naturally, it is our duty to resist this and that is what is happening..."

This comes after UGC's new draft guidelines, which say that candidates can qualify for faculty positions at higher institutions by clearing the UGC-NET in a subject of their choice, even if their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are in different disciplines.

It also includes changes to the selection process for vice-chancellors, including the expansion of eligibility criteria to include professionals from academia, research institutions, public policy, public administration, and industry. (ANI)