BRS opposes draft guidelines of UGC on VCs appointment and asks govt. to pass a resolution in Assembly against it

BRS accuses Centre of controlling higher education, urges Chief Minister to oppose new UGC guidelines for State universities.

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused the Centre of trying to control the higher education sector in the States, particularly the State universities, in the name of new guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to adopt a resolution in the Assembly opposing the new guidelines.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, former MP of the party B. Vinod Kumar and party leaders Dasoju Sravan, Gellu Srinivas Yadav and others said the new guidelines would adversely impact the interests of those pursuing education in the regional languages and also affect social justice. They alleged that the Centre was trying to boss over the State in the matter of higher education through the new guidelines of UGC as they appear to be promoting communal agenda rather than the principle of ‘unity in diversity’ in the country.

Only some non-BJP ruled States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bihar (in BJP coalition) had opposed the new guidelines of the UGC and the Tamil Nadu Assembly had also adopted a resolution opposing and protesting the new guidelines. He said the draft guidelines of the UGC were of the nature of trespassing and usurping the rights and powers of the State governments and also vest the powers of appointing the Vice Chancellors in Governors and appointing professors of its (UGC/Centre) choice irrespective of teaching experience.

Mr. Vinod Kumar said a BRS delegation led by its working president K.T. Rama Rao would meet Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan soon in New Delhi and submit the objections of the party on the draft guidelines of the UGC. The party had sent its views on the new guidelines to UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar on Friday itself.