The Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday urging the Centre to immediately withdraw the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2025 and come up with a new set of
regulations after holding extensive discussions with state governments and academic experts.
The resolution was passed in the wake of concerns raised by state governments and academic experts.
Moving the resolution in the House, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the assembly was of the clear opinion that the draft UGC regulations do not reflect the spirit of the Constitution.
“The UGC draft regulations undermine the constitutional values and ideals that are entrusted in the constitution of the country. We have decided to take up the matter with all non-BJP states and thereby hold a meeting with the state education ministers and then decide on the further course of action,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
He said universities across the country operate in line with the laws passed by their respective state legislative assemblies, and any move to impose central regulations without proper consultation would undermine the federal structure of India.
“The draft UGC regulations can only be seen as an attempt to wreck democratic values in the higher education sector and to enable people who propagate communal ideas to control the sector,” the resolution said.
Noting that up to 80% of the funds for running universities and higher educational institutions were being spent by state governments, the resolution pointed out that states have a major role in maintaining and improving the quality of universities.
The resolution also expressed concern over the exclusion of state governments in vital appointments like Vice Chancellor positions and teacher qualifications. “The Assembly is of the view that the stance of the Centre and UGC to exclude state governments from important matters, pertaining to the selection of Vice Chancellors and the service and pay conditions of teachers, is undemocratic and should be corrected,” the resolution further says
The Tamil Nadu’s assembly passed a similar resolution earlier this month, calling for the withdrawal of the UGC draft regulation of 2025.