Telangana CM seeks withdrawal of draft UGC regulations, calls them ‘attack on Constitution’

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Sunday demanded that the draft regulations of the University Grants Commission be withdrawn, describing them as an attack on the Constitution, PTI reported.

Reddy alleged that the Centre was trying to take over the powers to run universities from state governments through the regulations.

The draft rules, released on January 6, have proposed changes to the process by which appointments to teaching and administrative posts are made in institutions for higher education. They have envisaged giving more powers to chancellors in the process to select university vice-chancellors, The News Minute reported.

The chancellors of most state-run universities are governors, who are appointed by the Centre. This has led to concerns from Opposition-ruled states about the Union government getting increased powers to choose vice-chancellors of universities.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has also objected to a provision in the draft regulations allowing candidates without an academic background to be made vice-chancellors. He argued last week that this could lead to individuals who lack academic and administrative experience being appointed to head universities.

On Sunday, Revanth Reddy, a Congress leader, alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the proposal to introduce new regulations for the University Grants Commission. “The Centre’s plan to take over universities’ administration can result in making them platforms…

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