Seven state governments on Wednesday passed a joint resolution demanding the withdrawal of the University Grants Commission’s draft regulations.

The resolution was adopted at the “Conclave of State Higher Education Ministers 2025”, organised by the Karnataka government to discuss the proposals. Education ministers from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir were signatories.

The resolution raised concerns about the draft rules, particularly changes to the appointment of vice chancellors, the role of state governments in higher education and the impact on public universities.

The Union government released the draft rules on January 6 for feedback.

Among other changes, they propose revising the process for appointing teaching and administrative staff and granting chancellors more authority in selecting vice chancellors.

In most state-run universities, the chancellor is the governor, who is appointed by the Centre. Opposition-ruled states have argued that the new rules would give the Union government more control over vice chancellor appointments.

The proposed rules would apply to central, state, private and deemed universities.

The resolution stated that state governments should play a central role in appointing vice chancellors to public universities and that limiting this power violated federal principles.

“The regulations severely curtail the rights of the states in constituting the search-cum-selection committees for selection of Vice Chancellors,” it said. “The provision relating to appointing non-academics to be appointed as vice-chancellors requires to be withdrawn.”

The ministers also criticised the proposed eligibility criteria, term limits and qualifications for vice chancellors, warning that these could undermine academic standards.

They also opposed the removal of the Academic Performance Indicator system, arguing that it introduced excessive discretion in faculty appointments and promotions. This indicator is used to evaluate the academic performance and research contributions of faculty members and is primarily regulated by the University Grants Commission.

“Several provisions related to appointment of Assistant Professors requires a serious re-consideration including the provisions related to non-requirement of basic degree in the core subject concerned,” the resolution read.

The ministers also sought clarity on contractual appointments such as guest and visiting faculty. “The provisions related to consequences of violations of the draft UGC regulations are drastic, excessive, undemocratic and require serious reconsideration,” the resolution added.

They also objected to making National Education Policy guidelines mandatory, calling the move “dictatorial” and an attack on state autonomy.

The 2020 National Education Policy was India’s first since 1992. It introduced changes to school curricula, promoted flexibility in academic choices and emphasised primary education in native languages. Critics, however, said it encouraged privatisation, weakened public institutions and failed to adequately address the needs of marginalised communities. It was also criticised for creating numerous “exit” options for students, which could encourage dropouts.

The ministers also said that, by making entrance exams compulsory for undergraduate courses, the regulations favoured private institutions at the expense of public universities and created barriers to inclusive education.

“Promotions, biannual examinations, fast-track degree programmes, dual degrees, multiple entry and exit, etc., requires further deliberations and clarity before implementation,” the resolution read.

Last month, the Tamil Nadu and Kerala Assemblies passed separate resolutions against the draft rules.

On January 9, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also opposed the draft, calling it a “betrayal” of Kannadigas.

The Karnataka Assembly had passed the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University Amendment Bill 2024 in December, removing the governor as chancellor of state universities and replacing him with the chief minister.

On January 26, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also demanded that the draft regulations be withdrawn, describing them as an attack on the Constitution.

UGC’s stand

The University Grants Commission has defended the proposed rules, claiming the new process “eliminates ambiguity and ensures transparency.”

On January 10, University Grants Commission Chairman M Jagadeesh told the news agency that the new rules provide “much-needed clarity” by specifying the composition of vice chancellor selection committees.

He said the committee would have three members: one selected by the chancellor, another by the University Grants Commission chairperson and a third by the university’s executive council or senate.