‘Attempt to curtail states’ powers’

Telangana’s IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu strongly opposed the Draft UGC Regulations 2025, which seek to curtail the powers of state governments in appointing university vice-chancellors.
Representing the Telangana Government in place of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Sridhar attended a crucial meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday, where ministers and representatives from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh opposed the Centre’s proposed changes.
During the meeting, Sridhar did not mince words in criticising the Centre’s interference in state-run universities.
“States invest heavily in higher education. Telangana alone spends nearly Rs 4,000 crore annually to establish new universities, foster research and provide quality education. What gives the Centre the authority to dictate to us?” he asked.
He also strongly objected to the provision allowing bureaucrats and industry leaders to be appointed as vice-chancellors, calling it a move that would dilute academic leadership.
Sridhar also objected to the rule mandating a minimum of 3,000 students for universities to qualify for grading and Central incentives, arguing that it unfairly discriminates in favour of private and deemed universities and sidelines state institutions.
He vehemently opposed the proposed entrance exams for undergraduate programmes like BA, B.om, and B.Sc, calling them unnecessary barriers for poor students. He also rejected the plan to extend vice-chancellors’ tenures from three to five years, citing governance concerns.
Criticising the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he warned that policies like biannual admissions and dual-degree programmes would strain faculty and infrastructure beyond sustainable limits.
He also condemned the UGC’s threats to withhold funds from states that resist grading criteria or refuse to implement NEP guidelines. The push for increased online and correspondence courses, he argued, is an attempt to marginalise the role of traditional higher education institutions, he added.
Sridhar reminded the gathering that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had already written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, formally opposing the proposed regulations. “Education policy should be shaped through consensus and not unilateral decisions from Delhi,” he said.
The six states later passed a resolution urging the Centre to halt the Draft UGC regulations.
Telangana was also represented by Higher Education Commissioner A. Sridevasena and Higher Education Council Chairman Balakrishna Reddy.