UGC draft resolution: Another bid by BJP to saffronise education sector, says Kerala's higher education minister

Thiruvananthapuram: Alleging that the University Grants Commission's (UGC) draft regulations are yet another bid by the BJP government at the centre to saffronise the education sector, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF)  government in Kerala has decided to strongly oppose it.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinrayi VIjayan said that the fresh move was aimed at curtailing all powers of state governments in the higher education sector. Such interventions with vested interests of the sangh parivar forces is against the Constitution. All democratic forces of the nations should strongly resist the move, he urged.

State higher education minister R Bindu said that the state government would lose its control over universities with the implementation of the draft regulations. Hence the state would strongly resist it.

"The draft regulations are against the federal principles. It could be seen only as yet another attempt to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda of saffronising the universities," she said.

The state is mainly agitated over the changes in selection of chancellor of universities as well as the provision to appoint 'professor of practice'. 

"Universities are funded by the state government's also. Hence the state governments should have reasonable control over the universities so as to ensure quality of higher education being provided by the universities of a state. The provision to appoint 'professors of practice' will affect the quality of universities," Bindu said.

She also said that the UGC was only supposed to issue guidelines to universities and not to issue regulations.

Kerala government will exercise all options to oppose the draft regulations. The state will also initiate discussions and debates in this regard, she said.

Kerala had been witnessing a tiff between the state government and former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan for quite some time over selection of vice-chancellor and other top faculty members of universities.

The ruling CPI(M)-led LDF even initiated amendments in university laws to ensure its upper hand in vice chancellor selection. But it did not get the Governor's nod.