Kerala passes resolution urging Centre to withdraw UGC regulations
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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the central government to withdraw the draft UGC guidelines for 2025 and issue a revised version.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution in the House, stated that the draft UGC norms fail to align with the spirit of the Constitution. He emphasized that universities operate under laws established by state legislatures, which possess the authority to establish and oversee universities. The central government’s role, he clarified, is to coordinate and set standards for higher education institutions, not interfere with state-level regulations.
Vijayan pointed out that the draft guidelines were issued without consulting key stakeholders, including state governments. He criticized the provisions related to the appointment of Vice Chancellors, specifically allowing individuals from the private sector without academic expertise to hold such positions, a move he argued would commercialize the higher education sector.
The Chief Minister also expressed concern that the guidelines would undermine democratic values in education by shifting control to individuals promoting religious and communal ideologies. He declared the draft guidelines as “incompatible with the federal system and democracy” and demanded that the central government revise its approach.
The Kerala Assembly called for the immediate withdrawal of the 2025 UGC norms, urging the government to involve academic experts and state governments in detailed discussions before issuing new guidelines. Vijayan had previously stated that he would collaborate with non-BJP chief ministers nationwide to resist the central government’s new regulations.
The Draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment & Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations 2025, released by the Union Education Ministry in early January, are intended to offer universities more flexibility in the appointment and promotion of academic staff. However, the proposed norms have sparked widespread concern and opposition, particularly in Kerala.
With PTI inputs