Opposing the idea of appointing non-academics as Vice Chancellors, he said universities needed leaders who understood both academics and administration, not individuals focused only on business.
Chennai: State Minister for Higher Education, Govi Chezhian, saw only an ‘agenda’ behind the Union Government’s attempt to implement the draft UGC notifications and no genuine effort to improve academic standards in universities as the move itself was an overreach by the UGC with no clear scientific reasoning behind the proposed rules.
Addressing the Conference of State Ministers opposing the latest UGC guidelines at Bengaluru on Wednesday, Chezhian said: ‘It is unclear if the commission has consulted any experts or addresses the real concerns raised by the students and administrators.’
He said the guidelines from UGC as well the National Education Policy (NEP) seemed to copy the West without applying any thought about their suitability and usefulness for India and were an attempt to collapse the established practices without any kind of need assessment or scientific basis.
When numerous employment surveys, including the Economic Survey conducted by the Union Government, had shown that education outcomes were poor and a high number of graduates struggled to find jobs, the UGC draft regulations, without addressing the serious issues on educational quality, had proposed cosmetic and superficial changes, he said.
While Tamil Nadu, as a leader in education, social justice and inclusive development, believed on education benefiting students and improving learning outcomes, the draft regulations on ‘Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, 2025’ had raised deep concerns, he said.
Pointing out that the regulations were not passed in Parliament and were being pushed under the guise of delegated legislation, he said the Supreme Court had ruled that UGC regulations were not mandatory for state universities unless adopted by the State.
As a leading state in higher education, Tamil Nadu that had allocated Rs 8,212 crore, amounting to 17% of the Union Government allocation for the entire nation, found the imposition of rules on the education system without proper financial support as unfair and unacceptable, he said.
The State government had the first right over State Universities created through legislations and funded by the state to function with a motto of equal opportunities and inclusive enrollment, he said
Opposing the idea of appointing non-academics as Vice Chancellors, he said universities needed leaders who understood both academics and administration, not individuals focused only on business.
Listing out a slew of other drawbacks in the regulations, the Minister urged the Union Government to withdraw them and work with the States to create a more inclusive and democratic higher education system and vowed to continue the fight for the rights of students, teachers and educational institutions.
‘We are committed to protecting the foundation of social justice in our education system and ensuring that education remains a tool for empowerment,’ he said.
