Karnataka CM: Centre spares no opportunity to undermine powers of state government

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has condemned the central government's move to amend the University Grants Commission (UGC) recruitment rules to give governors full authority over the appointment of vice-chancellors in state universities. On Wednesday, he posted his disapproval on his official 'X' account, @siddaramaiah. "The @BJP4India-led NDA government under @narendramodi, which spares no opportunity to undermine the powers of state governments, has now set its sights on state universities.

Our government will review the draft regulations released by UGC regarding recruitment and will consider the necessary steps to oppose this," he wrote. According to him, under the current rules, state governments constituted a search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors, in which governors, as chancellors, recommended members to the committee.

"However, under the new rules, the person nominated by the Governor will serve as the chairperson of the search committee. This represents direct interference by the central government in state governance," he added.

New UGC regulations on recruitment

The new UGC regulations also mandate national-level advertisements for Vice-Chancellor appointments, inviting applications from across the country, he pointed out. "This could lead to a situation where positions in state universities, traditionally held by scholars from the state, are filled by non-native individuals, endangering the cultural and linguistic identity of the state," he said.

He also expressed his concern over the significant changes that have been proposed regarding the eligibility criteria for Vice-Chancellors.

"The new rules allow for the appointment of individuals from public and private sectors, including industrialists and public policy administrators, rather than limiting the selection to academic experts," he pointed out. He also charged that since the NDA government came to power, governors have increasingly "meddled" in the appointment of vice-chancellors in state universities, often ignoring the recommendations of state governments and imposing their choices.

"Our government will not tolerate actions that undermine the rights of our state. We will discuss this matter with non-BJP-ruled states and decide on the next course of action," added the CM.