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Six States have adopted a joint resolution seeking the withdrawal of 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) Regulations, 2025.
Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka adopted the 15-point resolution at the conclave of State Higher Education Ministers-2025 in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The States said that the draft UGC regulations do not envisage any role for the State Governments in appointment of the Vice Chancellors of Public Universities established under State Acts and thus impinge on the legitimate rights of the State in a federal set up. The resolution demanded that the State Governments must be given a pivotal role in appointment of Vice Chancellors to State Public Universities. The resolution says that the regulations severely curtail the rights of the States in constituting the search-cum- selection committees for selection of Vice Chancellors. The provision relating to appointing non-academics to be appointed as Vice-Chancellors requires to be withdrawn, said the States. The resolution said that the qualifications, term and eligibility for appointment of Vice Chancellors require a serious re-consideration as they impinge upon the standards of higher education. The removal of the Academic Performance Indicator (API) system of evaluation and introduction of the new system allowed a high-level of discretion and must be re-evaluated. Several provisions related to appointment of Assistant Professors required a serious re- consideration including the provisions related to non-requirement of basic degree in the core subject concerned, said the resolution. The States sought more clarity on the provisions related to contractual appointments, guest faculty/visiting faculty/professor of practice/ emeritus professor before finalisation of the guidelines. They said that the provisions related to consequences of violations of the draft UGC regulations are drastic, excessive, undemocratic and require serious reconsideration. Imposing all the proposals in the NEP as mandatory and taking punitive measures for non-compliance are really dictatorial and are against the spirit of autonomy of the States in a federal framework, said the States. More emphasis in regulations is required on industry academia collaboration to enhance innovation and research eco system in public universities. The draft regulations and grading parameters are designed to promote private institutions, ignoring the welfare aspect of government/public institutions, said the resolution. The States said that making an entrance exam mandatory for basic undergraduate courses is a huge barrier to increasing GER and providing inclusive education. Promotions, biannual examinations, fast-track degree programmes, dual degrees, multiple entry and exit, etc., requires further deliberations and clarity before implementation. The UGC must engage in a collaborative, consultative process with the States in framing these regulations in the spirit of cooperative federalism, said the resolution. (ANI)
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