Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the draft UGC regulations of 2025 not only diminish the role of state governments in higher education, but in reality sideline them.The CM said that under the draft regulations, the states have no role in appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) and assistant professors in state-established universities and termed them as “undemocratic and excessive”.
He was speaking after inaugurating a National Convention here on the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations of 2025 which was attended by ministers from the neighbouring states of Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
He said that powers for appointing VCs have been given to Chancellors, who are the Governors appointed by the Centre, and therefore there was scope for politically motivated selections which would be harmful for the higher education sector in the country.