Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly opposed the draft UGC Regulations 2025, claiming that the new guidelines undermine the state’s authority in higher education governance.
Vijayan expressed serious concern over the transfer of power to appoint Vice Chancellors (VCs) to Chancellors, who are Governors appointed by the Centre. He argued that this move weakens state control over public universities, which primarily function under state jurisdiction.
Highlighting that education is a concurrent subject under India’s Constitution, the CM warned that this regulation violates federal principles and could lead to political interference in university administration. He stressed that such centralization threatens the autonomy of state-run institutions.
Vijayan called upon the academic community and opposition parties to unite against what he described as an attempt to erode state rights in education. The Kerala government is considering legal measures to challenge the UGC’s new framework and protect the state’s role in higher education governance.
