Srinagar, Jan 08: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the Draft University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations 2025, particularly a provision that undermines the rights of states concerning the selection of Vice Chancellors in state-run universities.
The draft regulations grant the Governor-cum-Chancellor the authority to appoint a three-member Selection Committee, which will include the Chancellor’s nominee as the Chairperson. This move is especially concerning given recent instances where Governors have acted arbitrarily in appointing Vice Chancellors in various opposition-ruled states, the party said in a statement issued here.
“Under these guidelines, the state government will be excluded from any role in the Selection Committee appointments. This alarming provision effectively enables the central government to dictate Vice Chancellor appointments in all state-run universities through Governors-cum-Chancellors, undermining the autonomy of state governments,” the CPI(M) said.
It added, “These draft regulations violate the Constitutional framework that recognises education as a concurrent subject. We urge all democratic forces, including non-BJP state governments, to unite in opposition to this threatening provision. We call for its immediate withdrawal.”
