Draft UGC regulations for selection of VCs 'anti-constitutional': Mahua Moitra

New Delhi: TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday termed as "anti-constitutional" the draft UGC regulations for selection of vice chancellors in Central and state universities.

Demanding a rollback of the criteria of the search-and-selection committee of vice chancellors of state-aided universities, Moitra said during Zero Hour that there is no state-government representative in the committee even though states pay completely for the state-run universities.

The draft UGC regulation, 2025, which seeks to replace the UGC regulation 2018, is "over-centralised, anti-constitutional and anti-federal", Moitra said.

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 new guidelines will also amend the norms for hiring faculty members in universities allowing people having a postgraduate degrees in Master of Engineering (M.E) and Masters of Technology (MTech), with at least 55 per cent marks, to directly get recruited to the Assistant Professor level without qualifying for the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET).

Raising the issue of sand mining, Opposition Congress and the RSP demanded that the Centre withdraw its decision to conduct offshore sand mining in Kerala, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar islands.

N K Premachandran (RSP) said the Centre has not taken concurrence of the state for sea sand mining, which is proposed to start from the Kollam region of Kerala.

"In Kerala, livelihood of thousands of people is based on fishing. If sand mining is conducted, it will destroy the coastal ecosystem and the livelihood of fishermen," Premachandran said.

He said the intention is to privatise sea sand mining. "I urge upon the government to stop and withdraw from the move because it is adversely affecting the fishermen and coastal ecosystem," he added.

K C Venugopal (Congress) said the livelihood of fishermen community would be affected. "Government has to withdraw this order to save the environment and fishermen," he added.

K Francis George (Kerala Congress) said Odia film 'Sanatani-Karma Hi Dharma' violates all norms of decency and respect for a religion and religious faith.

He urged the government to ban the film across India to protect religious harmony.

"This film is a dangerous piece of propaganda aimed at spreading misinformation and division among communities. The film can cause communal disharmony and incite people to commit violence against minority Christians in Odisha," George said.

T R Baalu (DMK) raised the issue of shooting of fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and said 97 fishermen and 216 boats are in Sri Lanka custody.

Alleging the government's response to this issue is "lukewarm", Baalu said if the government is not able to resolve the issue it should facilitate talk among the parties and settle the matter.

D M Kathir Anand (DMK) asked Speaker Om Birla to provide MPs wireless bluetooth earphones to listen to Parliament proceedings.

He said all over the world Parliamentarians are provided with wireless bluetooth earphones.

"But, here (in India) they are provided with headphones. The headphones are not being properly maintained and they fall on the floor..., Anand said.