New UGC guidelines against federal principles, part of Centre's "saffronization" agenda: Kerala Minister R Bindu

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 8 (ANI): Condemning the new draft guidelines by University Grants Commission (UGC), Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Wednesday, called them against the federal principlesof the country.
Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party, she said that it is part of Centre's agenda of "saffronization, over-centralisation and communalisation" of the education sector.
Speaking to ANI, R Bindu said, "These guidelines are against the federal principles upheld by the nation...Recently, UGC has started procuring all kinds of interventions in the higher education sector through rigid regulations. This is an attempt to reduce academic quality...Industrialists can also become vice-chancellors in universities. This is condemnable."
The Kerala Minister further said that they are registering their 'protest' against this and have sent a letter to the UGC and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
"We are trying to register our protest against this...We will send a letter to UGC and the concerned minister, Dharmendra Pradhan...The academic quality of professors will be reduced forever...People who claim to be experts can be appointed as professors without the need for academic qualifications," Bindu said.
She added, "This is part of the central government's agenda of saffronization, over-centralisation and communalisation, which has been happening in the education sector for the last 10 years."
Notably, according to UGC's new draft guidelines, candidates can qualify for faculty positions at higher institutions by clearing the UGC-NET in a subject of their choice, even if their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are in different disciplines.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday announced the guidelines for the appointment of faculty in higher education.
It also include changes to the selection process for vice-chancellors, including the expansion of eligibility criteria to include professionals from academia, research institutions, public policy, public administration, and industry.
As per the guidelines, the subject of the PhD degree precedes the disciplines studied in undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for faculty selections. (ANI)