States oppose changes to vice-chancellor selection rules

Several state governments in India are opposing new draft rules giving more control over the selection of vice-chancellors to the country’s central government, while academics have criticised moves to allow industry experts and experienced professionals to be appointed as university heads.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the major reform on 6 January, noting that the new “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 of 2025, aimed to bring “innovation and flexibility in all aspects of higher education while bolstering academic standards”.

Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the regulatory body for higher education, which approved the draft regulations during a 23 December meeting, said: “The guidelines seek to modify the selection process for VCs by broadening the eligibility criteria to include professionals from academia, research institutions, public policy, public administration, and industry.”

He suggested appointing non-academics as university heads was “in line with global practice”.

The draft guidelines for the first time allow candidates with a minimum of 10 years of senior-level experience in industry, public policy, public administration, or public sector undertakings to be considered for vice-chancellor posts, provided they also have a proven record of substantial academic or scholarly contributions.

This marks a major change from existing regulations, which restrict eligibility to academics with at least 10 years’ experience as a professor or those holding prominent administrative or research positions.

Appointing industry experts or experienced professionals as vice-chancellors is seen by many in the academic community as a step towards “privatisation” and there are concerns it could usher in appointees with good political connections but no record of academic excellence.

Concerns have also been raised that vice-chancellors from outside academia may prioritise their own interests in faculty appointments, potentially compromising academic standards.

Central control

The new appointment rules and other proposed changes have not gone down well with academics and are vehemently opposed by states not ruled by the National Democratic Alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).

The new regulations stipulate that the search-cum-selection committee for vice-chancellors will comprise three members, with one nominated by the chancellor-visitor of the concerned state (a role filled by the state governor), one by the UGC chairman, and one by the university's governing body, such as the senate.

For state-run institutions, there is concern that vice-chancellor nominees will be aligned with the central government, with academics arguing it amounts to an attempt by the central government to exert greater control over state universities.

Rajesh Jha, a former member of the executive council of Delhi University, said: “The draft is not to serve academics, but the politics of the ruling party at the centre.”

A senior education ministry official who requested anonymity said: “The new regulations are likely to give chancellors more authority in the selection of vice-chancellors, which may have implications for opposition-led states such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala, where ongoing disputes exist between the state government and the governor, who serves as chancellor of state universities, regarding the top academic appointment process”.

He noted the role in vice-chancellor selection of the state government, the main financial supporter of the state university, would be severely curtailed, while the chancellor's greater influence over vice-chancellor selection could lead to conflicts.

Academics argue that while the UGC favours increased autonomy for universities, it simultaneously introduces new regulations that undermine this very principle. Some see it as a bid by the ruling government to exert greater control over state universities through the governor’s office.

However, Kumar told the media the new draft regulations make it “very clear that the chancellor will form the search-cum-selection committee”. He noted: “Our regulations do not say who is the chancellor. I see no controversy in this regard. So, there is greater clarity rather than controversy.”

Strong opposition

The state assembly in Tamil Nadu, one of several non-BJP-ruled states opposing the draft, passed a resolution this month urging the central government to withdraw the proposed changes immediately.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin claimed “the draft violates fundamental federal principles outlined in the Constitution and threatens the higher education system”.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan supported this view. In 2023, the Kerala Assembly passed a bill to remove the state’s governor as the ex-officio chancellor of 14 state universities, proposing to replace the governor with distinguished educationists. However, this bill is still awaiting the president's approval.

The Kerala state government, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), initiated the move following conflicts with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan regarding university administration and appointments. The party said the draft’s provisions on vice-chancellor appointments were “a direct assault on the rights of states”.

In November 2024, the state assembly of the southern state of Karnataka passed a similar bill to replace the state governor with the chief minister as chancellor of state universities, which is also pending the Indian president’s assent.