Stalin Opposes UGC Draft Regulations on VC Appointments

In a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday, Stalin said many provisions might pose serious challenges to the academic integrity, autonomy and inclusive development of State universities, urging the Union Ministry of Education to withdraw the draft Bills and review the concerns raised to better align with the needs of the diverse higher education landscape in India.

Prominent among the plethora of proposals in the regulations for fixing ‘Minimum Standards of Instruction for the Grant of Undergraduate Degree and Postgraduate Degree,’ that had worried students and parents was the common entrance examinations for UG and PG admissions, he said.

When the academic competence of students was properly and systematically assessed through robust exit exams by State and National boards, introducing entrance exams was unnecessary and burdensome and would exacerbate academic anxiety and financial stress, disproportionately harming socio-economically disadvantaged groups.

‘If entrance exams are made mandatory, schools may shift focus to coaching for entrance exams, undermining the core purpose of school education, he said, adding Tamil Nadu’s high GER (47%) was a testament to its educational system and entrance exams would certainly reduce access for disadvantaged students.

Flaying the proposal to allow students pursue any degree irrespective of their secondary stream, he said UG and PG admissions should be based on undergraduate assessments and allowing students with a 4-year undergraduate (Arts/Science) degree to pursue MTech, or ME, programmes was disquieting.

Raising issues over the Multiple Entry and Multiple Exit (MEME) system, he said it would disrupt learning continuity and ran the risk of legitimizing dropouts, undermining the efforts to increase higher education enrollment.

Stalin said the regulations proposing that a candidate with a PhD in a discipline different from their undergraduate or postgraduate qualification, or a candidate who had cleared NET/SET in a subject different from their academic background, would be eligible for teaching roles in that discipline would negatively impact the learning outcomes for students, particularly at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Attaching a copy of the resolution passed unanimously by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on January 9 opposing the draft regulations, the Chief Minister told the Union Education Minister, ‘I look forward to your support in ensuring that these guidelines are withdrawn and modified to better suit the needs of the States, particularly Tamil Nadu considering the importance of the issue.’