UGC draft regulations on appointing VCs is assault on federalism, state rights: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday strongly opposed the UGC draft regulations 2025, released by Union Education Minister a day earlier. UGC draft regulations 2025 granting Governors broader control over Vice Chancellor appointments and allowing non-academics to hold these posts were a direct assault on federalism and state rights, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday.

"This authoritarian move by the Union BJP government seeks to centralise power and undermine democratically elected state governments. Education must remain in the hands of those chosen by the people, not dictated by Governors acting at the BJP government’s behest", Stalin said in a post on X.

Stalin said Tamil Nadu, which led the nation with the highest number of top-ranking HEIs, will not stay silent as our institutions were stripped of autonomy. "Education is a subject under the Concurrent List in our Constitution, and hence we consider that the move of the UGC to issue this notification unilaterally as unconstitutional. This overreach is unacceptable, and Tamil Nadu will fight it legally and politically," his post added.

UGC draft regulations 2025

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan released the draft University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025 on Monday.

The has revised the faculty recruitment rules for more flexible, aspirational, and multidisciplinary-focused norms aligning with National Education Policy ( NEP 2020 ) and National Credit Framework (NCrF).

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UGC Draft Regulations 2025: Eligibility for vice-chancellor post

UGC has also revised the recruitment process for vice-chancellor post. For the vice-chancellor post, candidates should have “a minimum of ten years of experience as a Professor in an HEI or at a senior level in reputed research or academic administrative organizations or at a senior level in industry, public administration, public policy and/or public sector undertakings, with a proven track record of significant academic or scholarly contributions.

Earlier, the search-cum-selection committee would recommend a list of names for VC post to the Visitor or Chancellor, who would then select.

The draft UGC regulations has given the powers to Chancellors or Visitors to constitute the three-member search-cum-selection committee to appoint Vice-Chancellors. The guidelines also warn that non-implementation of it may result into debarring an institution from participating in UGC schemes or from offering degree programmes. The UGC has given 30 days for the stakeholders and public to offer comments on the draft.

(With inputs from PTI)