UGC should engage in dialogue with state govts before proposing changes to regulations: M C Sudhakar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M C Sudhakar has written to Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan expressing his opposition to the recently published draft UGC Regulations, 2025.
He said UGC should be engaging in a dialogue with state governments before proposing any changes.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) called for public consultation of its draft for 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.
In a letter dated January 13, Karnataka Minister for Higher Education Sudhakar said the state strongly opposes certain provisions related to the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, which he said, strike at the root of the higher education system and powers of the state government.
According to the minister, the draft guidelines provide no role for the state government in selecting the Vice-Chancellor of a university.
"The guidelines provide for a search-cum-selection committee appointed by the Chancellor/Visitor with no nominee of the State Government. The powers to appoint the Vice-Chancellor out of the panel recommended by the search-cum-selection committee is given solely to the Visitor/Chancellor," added the minister.
The qualifications required for appointment of Vice-Chancellors, which include non-academicians, also requires serious deliberation, he added. As per draft, said the minister, if the Vice-Chancellor is not appointed as per these guidelines, the appointment shall be null and void.
"This would contradict the provisions of the legislations governing Universities in the state, including in relation to the tenure and reappointment of Vice-Chancellors," he added.
The minister said the state government plays a critical role in advancement of higher education in the state.
"Karnataka is at the forefront of higher education with a gross enrolment ratio higher than the national average. Substantial funds are provided by the state government to administer and run public universities in the state. Apart from developmental grants to universities, salaries and pensions of the permanent teaching and non-teaching staff are provided by the state exchequer," said Sudhakar.
He also said UGC should ideally be engaging in a dialogue with state governments to assess the present status and issues faced by the universities pertaining to various student related issues in the present system before proposing any radical changes to the existing guidelines.
He urged the union education minister to direct the UGC to withdraw the draft guidelines immediately and engage in a wider consultation with state governments.
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FIR against Haryana BJP chief in gang-rape case: Cong seeks his removal, questions PM's 'silence'
New Delhi, Jan 15: The Congress Wednesday slammed the BJP over the FIR registered against the party's Haryana unit chief for alleged gang rape, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi must answer why the accused has still not been removed from the post despite such a serious allegation against him.
Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli and a singer were booked after a woman alleged that she was raped by them in a hotel in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. Police have registered an FIR against the two men, officials said.
According to the complainant, the two men made videos of the act and threatened to kill the victim if she informed anyone about the incident.
Addressing a press conference here, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba alleged that the Haryana BJP state president was involved in the girl's gang rape on the pretext of getting her a permanent government job.
She claimed BJP leaders have been involved in committing crimes against women earlier too.
BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh was accused of sexual harassment and BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was accused of rape, while in Karnataka, the BJP gave a poll ticket to "mass rapist" Prajwal Revanna and the Prime Minister went to campaign for him, she said.
"BJP leaders are able to muster the courage to commit sexual harassment because their party is standing with them," she said, alleging that the prime minister's 'Beti Bachao' slogan is a sham.
"The truth is that daughters have to be saved from BJP leaders only. The Congress government will not allow injustice to happen to any daughter," Lamba said.
Demanding that Badoli be removed from his post, the Congress leader said, "BJP president J P Nadda ji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, the law is in your hands. You create pressure, hence no action is taken against the criminals and daughters do not get justice."
"The BJP will have to answer how their (Haryana) state president is still in his post after such a serious allegation. The prime minister, home minister, BJP Mahila Morcha, BJP's national president and big leaders must answer," she said.
"On one hand, an FIR has been filed against Haryana BJP president on rape charges... in Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader Ajit Pal Singh Chauhan has been arrested for raping a woman. In such an environment, the Women’s Commission, which has the responsibility of providing justice to women, is silent. The daughters of the country are demanding justice, but PM Modi is silent," Lamba said.
Referring to the BJP's Delhi Assembly poll candidate Ramesh Bidhuri's remark that he will make roads which will be like Congress leader "Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks", Lamba said the comments prove how much respect his party has for women.
"Bidhuri's eyes are more on the cheeks of mothers, sisters and daughters than on the roads. Women protested against the lowly statement, after which he had to apologize. However, Bidhuri is continuously making objectionable statements," she said.
The BJP is silent over Bidhuri's statements and is promoting such language instead, the Mahila Congress chief claimed.
