Hyderabad: The recent decision by the Centre to hand over the full powers to Governors on appointing search committees to select Vice Chancellors for state universities was against the federal spirit, and was nothing more than a move by the Centre to take control over who gets to become vice chancellors, the BRS said.
“The BRS is opposed to this move, and we submitted a detailed note on our objections. If implemented, this decision will undermine the rights of the states to have a say on who leads higher educational institutions. The move means complete control of the central government over VC appointments,” BRS working president KT Rama Rao said on Thursday.
The BRS, he said, was against University Grants Commission preparing guidelines that undermine the independence states have when it comes to appointment of vice chancellors.
Rama Rao was speaking with reporters in New Delhi after a BRS delegation he led, met with Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and submitted the party’s views on the proposed changes to UGC regulations.
“The inclusion of the provision of ‘no suitable candidate found’ in the proposed search committee system will mean that the UGC can simply say no candidate was found to be fit to become a VC of a university. The changes in the UGC practices will undermine reservations for BCs, SCs, and STs. We asked Pradhan that the government must not just focus on academic qualifications but also research expertise when it comes to appointments in universities,” Rama Rao said.
Rama Rao also said the BRS delegation met with Union surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari and appealed for the extension of National Highway 365B from Vemulawada to Korutla, and a road-cum-rail bridge over Mid Manair Reservoir, connecting National Highway 63 through Vemulawada to Korutla.