States Should Not Be Bypassed in Vice Chancellor Appointments, They Say

January 23, 2025

The state governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have objected to the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) proposed new regulations, arguing that these rules limit state authority in higher education and breach federal principles by centralising power in the appointment of vice-chancellors. They also reportedly fear that this could be an attempt to further an ideological agenda.

The new draft regulations from the UGC grant Governors broader powers to appoint vice chancellors, open up the post to non-academics in industry and public sector roles, and remove State governments from the selection process. The proposals also affect entrance examinations for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions, introduce a multiple entry and exit system and specify revised eligibility criteria for certain technical programs.

Lawmakers in Kerala have passed a resolution urging the central government to withdraw the UGC draft regulations, as reported by The Indian Express. The resolution was introduced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan under Rule 118 of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Kerala Assembly, and it was unanimously approved.

Both the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress party in Kerala have termed these regulations as “part of a Sangh Parivar agenda.”

Vijayan argues that state governments, which spend around 80 percent of the funds for the functioning of universities and other higher educational institutions, play a major role in maintaining and improving the quality of these universities.

Similarly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has also requested that the UGC withdraw its draft regulations, as reported by The Hindu. The state government passed its own resolution in the State Assembly, urging the central government to reconsider the UGC’s proposals.

Stalin has encouraged chief ministers in other states without Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments to introduce and pass resolutions in their respective legislatures similar to Tamil Nadu’s stance on the UGC regulations.

Under the Indian Constitution, education lies in the concurrent list, meaning both the central and state governments have a role in framing policies. When the central government issues guidelines that reduce the states’ say in appointments, it can be interpreted as an intrusion into areas traditionally managed with significant input from state administrations.

Leaders in Kerala and Tamil Nadu fear that a diminished role for state governments could weaken the decentralised checks and balances that define the federal structure.

The inclusion of individuals from industry and the public sector, combined with limited state-level oversight, raises concerns that these positions may be filled with persons who share the ruling party’s outlook. By loosening the requirement that vice chancellors must be primarily academic professionals, the door opens for appointments driven more by loyalty than by established scholarly expertise. This shift can steer curricula, policy decisions and faculty appointments in ways that favour a particular political or cultural standpoint.

There have been concerns regarding Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi and Hyderabad University in Telangana being used to further ideological agendas. These universities have been at the centre of debates over academic freedom, curriculum changes and the appointment of key administrative figures, which critics argue reflect a political or ideological influence.