Congress Slams UGC Draft Regulations as “Draconian” and “Anti-Constitution

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Jan. The Congress party on Tuesday condemned the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) draft regulations for teacher appointments in universities and colleges, calling them “draconian” and “anti-Constitution.” 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, was recently published by the UGC.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized the draft for several reasons, including the removal of the 10 percent ceiling on contractual professorships, which he believes will lead to large-scale contractualisation of teaching jobs in higher education. “This will destroy the quality of our institutions and the spirit of academic independence,” Ramesh said on social media.

He further pointed out that the draft regulations propose stripping state governments of their power to appoint vice-chancellors in state universities, with the Centre (through UGC and the university’s chancellor) gaining unilateral control. Ramesh also accused the rules of allowing non-academics to be appointed as vice-chancellors, alleging that this would enable the appointment of RSS affiliates in key academic positions.

M.C. Sudhakar, the Higher Education Minister of Karnataka, has already written to the Union Education Minister protesting these proposed changes. Ramesh concluded by reiterating the Congress party’s demand for the immediate withdrawal of these “anti-Constitution” rules.