-By ArdorComm News Network
January 24, 2025
Karnataka will host a state higher education ministers’ conclave in Bengaluru on February 5 to deliberate on the controversial draft UGC regulations, which propose significant changes to vice-chancellor appointments. The draft guidelines, open for public consultation, have drawn criticism for limiting state governments’ powers in higher education governance.
Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar announced on Thursday that ministers from states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Bihar, among others, have been invited to the conclave. The states are expected to confirm their participation by Monday.
The contentious draft regulations, formally titled the “University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Standards in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations 2025,” propose empowering chancellors—mostly state governors—with exclusive authority to appoint vice-chancellors and form search committees, sidelining state governments from the process entirely.
Dr. Sudhakar criticised the move, stating that it undermines the federal structure and the principles of cooperative federalism. “This unilateral approach by the UGC ignores the constitutional responsibilities of state governments in higher education and must be reconsidered,” he said.
The conclave will provide a platform for states to discuss the draft regulations’ implications on public, private, and deemed universities, especially regarding administrative autonomy and adherence to state laws. Sudhakar said that a unified position would be adopted and communicated to the Union government and UGC.
In January, Sudhakar wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, objecting to the exclusion of state governments in the selection of vice-chancellors and the inclusion of non-academicians as eligible candidates. The letter argued that these provisions conflict with state laws governing universities and demanded more deliberation on the matter.
The issue has sparked significant debate in Karnataka, which recently passed a bill to replace the governor with the chief minister as chancellor of the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj University. The bill awaits the governor’s assent. Additionally, the state cabinet plans to propose amendments to the Karnataka State Universities Act to remove the governor as chancellor for other state universities.
As states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala voice similar concerns, Karnataka’s conclave seeks to build consensus on safeguarding state powers in higher education administration.