Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday defended a proposal to allow non-academic persons to be appointed as vice-chancellors of universities amid Opposition apprehension over the dilution of higher education standards.
In January, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had unveiled draft rules on the appointment of teachers. The proposed rules seek to change the existing policy for the appointment of VCs and faculty members.
Currently, only professors with 10 years of experience are eligible to be appointed as VCs. The proposed rules allow persons working at senior levels in industry, public administration, public policy and/or public sector undertakings to be appointed as VCs.
The regulations also give full power to chancellors, who are governors of states, to set up search panels and appoint VCs in public universities, denying states any role.
Six Opposition-ruled states have protested the draft policy.
During Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, DMK member Tiruchi Siva wanted to know whether any consultation with the states and academic institutions was conducted on the draft policy.
In his reply, Pradhan said the UGC had shared the draft with the principal secretaries in the department of higher education of all states and chairpersons of state higher education councils and industry bodies. Vice-chancellors of central and state universities were consulted as well, Pradhan added.
"The UGC has received feedback on the draft regulations and many among them were appreciative in nature. However, some of the feedback received have suggested improvements on the provisions relating to the role of the chancellor and the constitution of the selection committee for appointment of the VC. These feedback are at different stages of analysis and deliberations,” Pradhan said.
Siva said the VCs without any academic background and the denial of any role to the state government in the appointment of VCs would not augur well for institutions and wanted to know the rationale behind the proposed changes.
Pradhan said the secretaries to the governors regularly coordinated with the state government and, therefore, the states would be able to give their suggestions when the VCs were appointed. He defended the appointment of non-academic persons as VCs.
"A VC performs both academic and administrative roles. The time has come to blend both. The UGC has envisioned that eminent people from different fields get the opportunity,” Pradhan said.
BJP member Ryaga Krishnaiah asked the minister to explain the factors that led to the reversal of the UGC's decision to make a PhD a necessary qualification for the appointment of assistant professors.
Pradhan said there were not enough candidates with PhD to fill the vacant posts in the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes categories.
