KD NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, Jan 8: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI[M]) has strongly opposed the Draft University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations 2025, calling it a direct assault on the autonomy of states in the selection of Vice Chancellors for state-run universities.
In a press statement issued today, the party criticized the proposed guidelines, highlighting their potential to undermine the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution.
The draft regulations grant Governors, who also serve as Chancellors in many states, the authority to appoint a three-member selection committee for Vice Chancellors. Additionally, the Chancellor’s nominee would chair the committee, effectively sidelining state governments from the selection process.
“This provision enables the Centre, through the Governors-cum-Chancellors, to appoint Vice Chancellors of its choice in all state-run universities,” the statement read. The CPI(M) argued that this move is particularly concerning given recent incidents of Governors acting unilaterally in appointing Vice Chancellors in opposition-ruled states.
The party emphasized that education is a concurrent subject under the Constitution, and any attempt to centralize control over state-run universities violates the federal structure. “These draft regulations are unconstitutional and erode the rights of state governments,” the CPI(M) warned.
The CPI(M) called on democratic forces, including non-BJP state governments, to unite against the proposed regulations. “This dangerous provision must be opposed and withdrawn immediately,” the statement concluded.
The issue of Governors allegedly overstepping their authority has sparked debates in several states. With the UGC’s draft regulations now under scrutiny, opposition parties and educational experts are likely to mount further pressure on the Centre to reconsider the controversial provisions.
