UGC draft guidelines: Education is not monopoly of Centre says deputy CM Bhatti

Thiruvananthapuram/Hyderabad: “You must pay the bill but can’t order your food” is how deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu described the new proposed guidelines of UGC on modifying various administrative aspects of higher education across the country.

“The Centre is expecting States to provide funds to run the universities. However, they are removing States’ role in the appointment of vice-chancellors and admissions. If this situation is allowed, then States will be confined to ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the inauguration of buildings,” the deputy CM said.

The University Grants Commission’s proposed guidelines have come under fire from various groups for allegedly undermining the authority of individual States in deciding their educational policies.

Speaking at the National Convention on Higher Education organised at Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka spoke about the impact of UGC draft guidelines, autonomy of States and steps taken in the education sector in Telangana State.

'Educational needs of each States is different'

Stating that the education sector is not a monopoly of the Central government, deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka said “States would build educational institutions and systems suitable to their respective population and social setups. There is no similarity between the two States. No State could provide quality education without autonomy,” he said and requested all States to convey their opinion on such an important topic without merely confining themselves to the discussions alone.

“When States stand united with a common objective, Centre must listen. States are not mere administrative units but lifelines for the progress of the country,” he said.

Only a State will know the aspirations of their students, their pulse and special challenges to be overcome and Delhi cannot run the education sector through remote control. The Centre should formulate policies in tune with the requirements of States, he argued.

‘Does Centre believe in federalism?’

Stating that cooperation does not mean coercion but consultation, deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka said that if the Centre truly believed in the spirit of federalism, it should hold discussions with the States to understand their viewpoint.

“Education is the way to open minds, not to close them. Autonomy and good governance are the only means to achieve this objective now and for the coming generations. That responsibility is upon all of us,” he said. Eliminating the role of State government in the appointment of vice-chancellors and search committees and amending the eligibility criteria for vice-chancellors was a matter of serious concern, he said.

The Centre should respect the autonomy of States in the education and health sectors. The deputy CM recalled in his presentation that in the case of Rajasthan Vs Indian Union, the apex court noted India is bound by a Federal Constitution.

In the Keshavananda Bharathi Vs Kerala State case, the court noted that federalism is the basic feature of the Indian Constitution, he pointed out at the convention.

What is federalism?

According to Irfan Aziz, All India Professional Congress, president of Secunderabad Chapter & Congress Manifesto Head from Telangana, the UGC’s draft regulation raises concerns about its alignment with the constitutional principles of federalism.

India’s federal system, characterised by multilevel governance, is grounded in the principle of subsidiarity, which advocates for decision-making authority to be vested at the most local level of government. This principle emphasises decentralisation, ensuring that local bodies maintain functional independence and agency to foster deeper democratic engagement. The structure of power distribution in the Indian Constitution, though not always explicitly stated, suggests that authority should flow from the Central government down to the people, from Rajpath to Janpath, ultimately reaching the grassroots level, where true power lies in the hands of the people through institutions like gram sabhas.

Six states have passed a joint resolution calling for the withdrawal of the draft UGC (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. States including Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka gathered for the State Higher Education Ministers’ conclave in Bengaluru, where they adopted a 15-point resolution opposing the UGC draft regulations.

Education is the cornerstone of progress

Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, in a PowerPoint presentation, explained the reforms taken up in the education sector in Telangana under the leadership of chief minister A Revanth Reddy and the results achieved. He also gave a presentation on cooperative federalism and UGC’s latest guidelines.

Quoting BR Ambedkar’s principle that people should be educated, active, united and with self-confidence, deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka said their government gave top priority to education as it is the foundation for progress.

“The Congress government in Telangana is setting up Integrated Residential Schools. Young India Skill University is being set up and teachers’ posts are being filled on priority from schools to universities. Skill development programmes were launched in technical courses and encouragement was being given to Digital Telangana in the education sector. The higher education sector was being strengthened with the development of basic amenities,” he said.

Enrolment of students

He said the enrolment ratio of students increased to 40 per cent as against the national average of 28.4 per cent.

“As per the Brookings Report, there are on average about 690 students per higher education institution as against 16,000 in China. If enrolment of 3,000 students is made standard, then many higher education institutions would lose good ranking and the possibility of getting funding. Such a system will only encourage big corporate and private institutions and cause immense loss to the educational institutions working with welfare orientation,” he said.

The Telangana government is ready to organise the next conference at Hyderabad and thereby a possibility will be there to formulate an action plan on behalf of the States.

Reiterating that the Centre should hold consultations with States as education is on the concurrent list, the deputy CM, in his valedictory address, demanded that all the States should unitedly give shape to the spirit of genuine federalism.