AIFUCTO Demands tha UGC withdraw the Draft UGC regulation 2025

All India Federation of University & College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO)

Patna/New Delhi 15 January 2025

PRESS RELEASE

All India Federation of University & College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) opposes Draft UGC (Minimum qualification for appointment and promotion of Teachers and Academic staff in universities and college and Measures for the maintenance of standard in Higher Education Regulation 2025

Dated on 06.01.2025

AIFUCTO President Prof. Dr. M. NAGARAJAN and AIFUCTO General Secretary Prof. DR. ARUN KUMAR issued the following press statement today
The University Grants Commission has come up with its draft regulations stipulating the minimum qualifications for teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges. It is evident from the structure and content of these regulations that the apex agency is continuing its agenda of centralization at the cost of the rights and privileges of the states as well as the academic autonomy of the universities. The numerous times the UGC has amended its own regulations and changed various aspects of the minimum qualifications required for selection and promotion of teachers and other academic staff is ample evidence for the confusion that prevails within the apex agency regarding these norms. This has created enormous confusion within the academic community regarding the existing pathways for career advancement. Teachers’ organizations in the country have been raising various concerns regarding the existing regulations themselves. However, none of those concerns have been addressed by the draft regulations. Some of the commission’s restrictions are tantamount to denying due promotions to teachers based on seniority and performance. This will only de motivate the academic community in the country. The insistences on publications and attendance in seminars and symposia, even when such proper facilities are currently unavailable, have given rise to a
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plethora of worthless publications and substandard academic exercises. Teachers are being pushed by the UGC to partake in such seamy enterprises.
The office of the governor has its constitutional duties and responsibilities. Commissions like the one headed by Honorable former Chief Justice of India Madan Mohan Punchhi have pointed out the illogicality in governors holding posts like that of the chancellor of universities and have recommended that this practice should be scrapped. However, in keeping with the hidden agenda of the union government, the UGC through its new regulations is trying to foist upon the office of the governor the complete authority of appointing vice- chancellors of the state Universities. This will divest the states of all initiatives with respect to the state universities, most of which are being funded almost totally by the respective state governments. Education belongs to the concurrent list of the constitutions and therefore, denying role to the state governments in the matters pertaining to state universities goes against the federal principles upon which India is founded.
Extreme centralization, like the one that the UGC envisages through its current draft regulations, denies not only the onus of the states but also the autonomy of the universities. Furthermore, it is highly objectionable that the UGC has prescribed punishments for those Universities that wish to retain their identities even within broad compliance of the UGC’s diktats.
The All India Federation of University and College Teacher Organizations’, therefore, demand the immediate withdrawal of the draft UGC Regulations, 2025 and request the UGC to hold discussions with the teachers’ organizations and academicians in the country before embarking on enterprises like this which will have a huge consequence on higher education in the country.

Prof. Dr. M. Nagarajan,
President AIFUCTO
Email : nagarajanmuta[at]gmail.com

Prof. Dr. Arun Kumar
General Secretary AIFUCTO
Email: aifucto.generalsecretary[at]gmail.com