UGC Extends Deadline for Feedback on Controversial 2025 Draft Regulations
The draft guidelines, criticized by opposition leaders and six states, propose changes to faculty recruitment and vice-chancellor appointments.
Overview
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has extended the deadline for feedback on its 2025 draft regulations to February 28, 2025, following stakeholder requests.
- The regulations propose allowing industry experts and professionals from various fields to be eligible for vice-chancellor appointments, sparking criticism over reduced state autonomy.
- Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, have accused the draft of advancing an ideological agenda and undermining linguistic and cultural diversity.
- Resolutions rejecting the draft have been passed by six opposition-ruled states and the legislative assemblies of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, citing concerns over state authority in education.
- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan defended the draft, calling it a progressive reform and dismissing the opposition's criticism as political posturing.