One of the most contentious points is the UGC’s proposal to hand governors the power to appoint vice-chancellors in all state universities which they say override state laws.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Education Commission (TEC) has sent a resolution to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar opposing the draft UGC Regulations 2025. Signed by prominent educators, the resolution condemns what it calls an attempt to strip state governments of their control over universities.
One of the most contentious points is the UGC’s proposal to hand governors the power to appoint vice-chancellors in all state universities which they say override state laws. "Vesting the authority to appoint vice-chancellors with the governors drastically reduces the role of state governments, attacks the very idea of federalism and sweeps aside the socio-cultural needs of the states," the resolution states. It argues that such changes undermine diversity and impose a centralised system that disregards local academic priorities.
TEC member P.L. Vishveshwar Rao confirmed that the resolution was sent ahead of a meeting scheduled for March 5. "Tamil Nadu, Kerala and a few other states have already rejected these regulations. Telangana’s IT minister Sridhar Babu even attended a meeting in Tamil Nadu on this issue," he said.
The educators have also raised concerns over the revised eligibility criteria for vice-chancellors. The UGC’s 2025 guidelines allow candidates with ten years of experience in public administration, policy-making and industry to apply, unlike the previous requirement of ten years as a professor or academic administrator. "This means universities could be headed by individuals who have never taught in a higher education setting and have no interaction with students," the resolution warns.
Another major objection is the shift from a three-year to a five-year vice-chancellor term, with the possibility of extension up to ten years. The resolution warns that such prolonged tenures could allow politically motivated appointments to take deep root. The TEC also criticised the introduction of common entrance exams for all undergraduate and postgraduate courses and the inclusion of the Indian Knowledge Systems component in education policy. The resolution argued that it may divert funds from globally competitive research to obscurantist studies.
Educationists from Telangana have aligned their stance with Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have already passed resolutions against the new regulations. The resolution states that the UGC is moving away from its original role as a funding and regulatory body and is instead turning into a tool for political interference. Among the signatories are former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudarshan Reddy, Magsaysay awardee Prof. Shantha Sinha, former Osmania University vice-chancellor Prof. Tirupathi Rao and several retired professors from Central University of Hyderabad, Osmania University and Kakatiya University.
