Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) opposed the draft UGC Regulations, 2025 and rejected proposed provisions for appointing vice-chancellors and other academic staff.
In a letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Wednesday, the BJD Coordination & Activities Committee chairman Debi Prasad Mishra, said: “The party express concerns regarding the anti-federal nature of the draft UGC Regulations, 2025 on selection and appointment of vice-chancellors and other academic staff.”
It said that the BJD did not accept the draft UGC regulations due to different reasons.
“We register our strong objection to the draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for the maintenance of standards in Higher Education Regulations) 2025 proposed by UGC, which grants absolute power to governors of states and hence, through them to the central government, to appoint vice-chancellors and other academic staff of higher education institution like universities including state universities without any participation by the state government,” the BJD letter said.
Mishra in the letter said that this move significantly undermines the principles of federalism which forms a part of the “basic structure” of our Constitution and makes a mockery of co-operative governance between Centre and states. It hits at the root of the autonomy of our institutions of higher learning, he said.
The party urged the UGC to reconsider the draft regulations and ensure that the appointment of vice-chancellors and other academic staff in the case of state universities is done in a transparent, participatory, and inclusive manner involving the state government in the best traditions of cooperative federalism.
The BJD said that the constitution of the search-cum-selection committee for the appointment of VCs should include representatives from state governments and the concerned universities. The state government should play a significant role in the selection and appointment process of all academic positions in state universities, colleges and institutions of higher education set up under a state act.
This apart, the regional party wanted that the UGC regulations should ensure the appointment process is transparent, and the search committee and appointing authority are accountable for their actions.
The BJD in the letter suggested the UGC to encourage consultation and collaboration between the UGC, state governments, and universities at all times and in all steps to foster a spirit of cooperative governance.
“We hope the UGC will consider our concerns and make necessary amendments to the draft regulations before final notification to honour federalism, protect the autonomy of state universities and protect the interest of all stakeholders,” the party said in the letter.
PTI
