Kerala Minister R Bindu Condemns UGC's Draft Guidelines

Kerala's Higher Education Minister R Bindu criticized the UGC's new draft guidelines, labeling them as an attack on federal principles and part of a broader agenda of "saffronization." The guidelines allow for broader eligibility for faculty roles and vice-chancellorships, sparking concerns about academic quality.

Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu has vociferously denounced the University Grants Commission's (UGC) latest draft guidelines, branding them as contrary to the nation's federal principles. Criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party, she stated these measures are part of the central government's strategy towards "saffronization, over-centralisation, and communalisation" of education.

In a conversation with ANI, Minister Bindu expressed that the guidelines undermine federal values and warned that UGC's stringent regulations are an encroachment into the higher education sector meant to depreciate academic standards. She condemned the idea that industrialists could ascend to university vice-chancellorships, articulating Kerala's formal protest in a letter to both the UGC and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Referring to recent changes unveiled on Monday, Bindu criticized the facilitation of teaching positions to candidates passing UGC-NET in unrelated disciplines from their degrees. The new rules also broaden the vice-chancellor selection process to include professionals from diverse sectors. Bindu argued this could undermine the academic qualifications required for top educational appointments.

(With inputs from agencies.)