State Higher Education Ministers Discuss UGC Regulations at Conclave
A major meeting of State Higher Education Ministers was held on Wednesday, organized by the Department of Higher Education, Karnataka. The main focus of the conclave was to discuss the University Grants Commission (UGC) draft regulations on the qualifications required for appointing teaching and non-teaching staff in universities and colleges.
The conclave was attended by Higher Education Ministers and representatives from several states, including Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka. The participants reviewed the UGC regulations, which outline minimum qualifications for teachers and academic staff, as well as measures to uphold education standards. They also discussed the grading of Higher Education Institutions based on their implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
A key outcome of the meeting was a 15-point joint resolution. The ministers strongly emphasized that State Governments should have a significant role in appointing Vice-Chancellors for State Public Universities. They expressed concerns that the current UGC draft regulations exclude State Governments from this process, affecting their rights in a federal system. The resolution also criticized the restrictions placed on States regarding the selection committees for Vice-Chancellors.
Additionally, the ministers opposed the provision that allows non-academics to be appointed as Vice-Chancellors. They argued that the eligibility criteria for Vice-Chancellors should be reconsidered, as it could impact the quality of higher education.
Another major concern raised was the mandatory implementation of all NEP proposals, along with penalties for non-compliance. The ministers felt that such an approach was authoritarian and went against the idea of State autonomy in a federal system.
