Wed Jan 29 14:38:22 UTC 2025: ## Kerala to Host Anti-UGC Regulation Convention
**Thiruvananthapuram, January 29, 2025** – Kerala will host a state-level convention on February 20th to protest the proposed University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations of 2025. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event, which will bring together students, teachers, staff, and university representatives from across the higher education sector.
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu announced the convention at a press conference, stating that the regulations undermine the federal structure of India, weaken academic quality, and exclude state governments from managing state-run universities. The Minister criticized the provision allowing for the appointment of non-academics as Vice-Chancellors.
A three-member committee, headed by former State Planning Board vice-chairperson Prabhat Patnaik, has already reviewed the draft regulations and found them to be unconstitutional and non-compliant with the UGC’s mandate. Their findings will be sent to the UGC.
Minister Bindu revealed that she and Chief Minister Vijayan have written to their counterparts in the Union government and other states, respectively, expressing strong opposition. The Kerala Assembly has also passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the draft regulations.
The convention is anticipated to be the first step in a nationwide movement against the regulations. Similar protests are brewing in other non-BJP ruled states, including Karnataka, which is organizing a conclave on February 5th, and Tamil Nadu, which has already called for coordinated protests. Legal options are also being explored.
Minister Bindu highlighted the state government’s significant investment of ₹1,822 crore in state universities during 2023-24, emphasizing the injustice of the proposed regulations which seek to exclude the state from university affairs. She further alleged that the regulations pave the way for the “saffronisation of education” through centralization of power.
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