BRS working president KTR
Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Thursday, February 6, met Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Nitin Gadkari in Delhi to oppose the University Grants Commission (UGC) proposed amendments which include giving full authority to state governors for appointing vice-chancellors through search committees. KTR said that this directly interferes with the jurisdiction of states.
BRS leaders including KTR met the union ministers and conveyed their concerns regarding the proposed amendments to UGC regulations. KTR said that the central government’s proposed changes to UGC regulations undermine state rights and violate democratic principles. “The plan to KTR criticized this move as an overreach by the central government, infringing upon the autonomy of state-run universities,” KTR said in a press release.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a draft related to minimum qualifications for appointment of academic staff in universities and colleges across the country. The new regulations also change the selection process of vice-chancellors, such as expanding eligibility criteria to include professionals from academia, research institutions, public policy, public administration, and industry.
KTR stated that the BRS has submitted a formal letter to the central government outlining its views on the proposed changes to University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. The primary reason Indian citizens are successfully showcasing their skills globally is the strong foundation provided by the country’s universities, said KTR.
He added that the success of universities is largely due to the research and innovation fostered within institutions. “After consulting with education sector experts about the upcoming UGC guidelines, the party presented its stance to the central government. KTR emphasized that placing state universities entirely under the control of governors violates the spirit of federalism, weakening the democratic structure of the country,” added the release.
The BRS has also raised “serious concerns” about the introduction of a “No Suitable Candidate Found” clause in the recruitment process. This, said KTR, could be exploited to bypass reservation policies for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Backward Class (BC) communities. The BRS leader said that this will allow positions to be filled with candidates from other categories under the pretext of unavailability.
“He stressed that such practices would directly violate the constitutional rights granted to marginalized communities and undermine social justice,” Furthermore, KTR stated that the party recommended university recruitments prioritize not just academic qualifications but also significant contributions to research and innovation
On Thursday, the BRS submitted a comprehensive six-page appeal to the central government, urging the UGC to draft new regulations that do not “infringe upon state autonomy or the rights of educational institutions within the states”.
This post was last modified on February 6, 2025 4:42 pm