UGC draft regulations: Deadline for feedback extended amid slugfest

According to the draft regulations, industry experts, as well as senior professionals from public administration, public policy and public sector undertakings, might soon be eligible for appointment as vice-chancellors.

New Delhi: The political slugfest over the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations intensified on Thursday, with Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan terming “unfortunate” and “concerning” the criticism of the draft norms by Opposition leaders, including Congress lawmaker Rahul Gandhi, who alleged the move was an attempt to push RSS’s agenda of imposing “one history, one tradition, one language” on the country.

Lok Sabha LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with Samajwadi Party Chief MP Akhilesh Yadav with DMK MP at a protest against UGC regulations organised by DMK Student Wing at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. (HT PHOTO)

Meanwhile, the UGC extended till February 28 the date for receiving feedback on its draft regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges. Earlier, the stakeholders were supposed to send feedback by February 5.

Pradhan’s comments came hours Gandhi, the leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took part in a protest against the draft regulations called by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s student wing at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

“It is both unfortunate and concerning to see how some political leaders, including the LoP, twist progressive educational reforms into imaginary threats to sustain their outdated political narratives,” Pradhan said in a post on X.

“The UGC draft regulations aim to broaden horizons, not narrow them. They seek to include more voices, not silence them. They uphold institutional autonomy and our linguistic diversity. They strengthen our academic institutions, not weaken them. But perhaps these facts are too inconvenient for those who prefer rhetoric over reality,” he added.

The minister further said that opposing something just for the sake of opposing it may be fashionable, it may be a good political posturing but is certainly “petty politics”.

“I would humbly suggest that Rahul Gandhi and the self-proclaimed champions of Constitution invest some time in actually reading the draft regulations before launching their rehearsed political performances,” he added.

Speaking at the protest earlier in the day, Gandhi alleged the UGC’s draft regulations was an attempt to push the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — the ideological fount of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — that aimed to achieve its idea of imposing “one history, one tradition, one language” on the country.

The Congress leader alleged that the RSS’s aim was the eradication of all other histories, cultures and traditions of the country. “That is its starting point and that is what it wants to achieve. It attacks the Constitution because it wants to achieve one idea which is its idea — one history, one tradition, one language — on this country,” he said. “This attempt that it is doing with the education system of different states is just another attempt to push its agenda.”

Yadav also hit out at the BJP-RSS, alleging that they wanted to take over all the power of state governments. “They want to make politicians servants of industrialists. We can never support the new education policy… I am supporting all the students here and the decision that you have taken. I am against the NEP (National Education Policy). I am against the BJP,” he said.

On Thursday, the UGC extended till February 28 the deadline to submit feedback on the draft (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, which was released by Pradhan on January 6.

“In view of requests received from stakeholders to extend the last date to submit the feedback on draft UGC regulations, 2025, UGC has now decided to extend the deadline till February 28,” the higher education regulator said in a statement.

UGC has said that the draft norms will replace the 2018 guidelines. According to the draft regulations, industry experts, as well as senior professionals from public administration, public policy and public sector undertakings, might soon be eligible for appointment as vice-chancellors. The draft norms have also given power to chancellors or visitors to constitute the three-member search-cum-selection committee to appoint vice-chancellors.

The draft guidelines also seek to amend the norms for hiring faculty members in universities allowing people having a postgraduate degree — Master of Engineering (M.E) and Masters of Technology (MTech) — with at least 55% marks, to directly get recruited to the assistant professor level without qualifying for the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET).

The draft regulations have come under strong criticism from various opposition parties. On Wednesday, ministers from six Opposition-ruled states — Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana— passed a 15-point resolution rejecting the draft UGC norms, arguing that they undermine the autonomy of states. Last month, the legislative assemblies of Kerala and Tamil Nadu passed resolutions urging the Centre to withdraw the draft UGC norms.