Six non-BJP states conclave opposes draft UGC norms

Hyderabad:On the day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged in Delhi that the University Grants Commission (UGC)'s draft regulations on the appointment of faculty was an attempt to impose the agenda of the RSS of "one history, one tradition, one language", six non-BJP ruled states meeting in Bengaluru opposed the Centre's draft stating that they violated the federal spirit and impinged on the rights of state governments to appoint vice chancellors of state universities.

Rahul Gandhi, speaking at a protest organised by the DMK in Delhi, said the RSS' aim was the eradication of all other histories, cultures and traditions of the country. "That is its starting point and that is what it wants to achieve," he said.

In Bengaluru, ministers from Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh adopted a unanimous resolution opposing 15 points of the draft UGC guidelines and sent it to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

On the instructions of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy who holds the education portfolio in the state, IT and industries minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu attended the meeting.

Sridhar Babu strongly opposed the change in the guidelines on the appointment of VCs for state universities. He said the draft guidelines had ignored the procedure followed by the states.

The government strongly opposed the proposal to appoint industry heads, bureaucrats and outsiders as VCs. It also opposed the condition that only higher education institutes which have over 3,000 students will get incentives from the Centre and will be eligible to get NAAC gradings, saying this would benefit private universities and deemed universities.

The government also strongly opposed the proposal to conduct entrance tests for UG courses, as it would deprive poor students.

"The average enrolment ratio in undergraduate courses stands at 28 per cent, which means 72 per cent students are not joining. Instead of increasing the enrolment ratio, the proposal to conduct the entrance tests puts hurdles," Sridhar Babu said.

Sridhar Babu termed the directive of the Centre to states to implement the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as a threatening one.

"Instead of taking the opinion of the states and helping them to improve the infrastructure in higher educational institutions, the Centre is making it mandatory to implement NEP-2020," he said, adding that state governments were ill-equipped in terms of teaching staff and other infrastructure to conduct admissions in undergraduate courses twice in a year.

"The message that the higher education institutions, which failed to get NAAC gradings and failed to implement the NEP-2020, will not get the central funds is a threat from the Centre," said Sridhar Babu and informed the meeting that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had written a letter to education minister Pradhan that the state would not accept the draft regulations.

Higher Education commissioner A. Sridevasena and Higher Education Council chairman Balakrishna Reddy also took part in the meeting.

What Telangana opposes

Proposal for University Grants Commission (UGC) to appoint vice chancellors to state university, academic faculty.

Proposal to appoint industry heads, bureaucrats and the outsiders as vice chancellors of state universities.

Proposal to increase VCs' tenure from three to five years.

Condition that only higher education institutes which have over 3,000 students will get the incentives from the Centre and will be eligible for NAAC gradings. Telangana says this will benefit private universities and deemed universities.

Proposed entrance tests for several undergraduate courses, saying it would affect poor students. Average enrolment ratio in UG courses stands at 28%; entrance tests would be a hurdle.

Making New Education Policy (NEP)-2020 a pre-condition to get Central funding is a threat as states are ill-equipped in terms of teaching staff and other infrastructure to conduct admissions in UG courses twice in a year.

Permission to students to pursue two different courses in a single academic year.