**Executive Summary**
This document summarizes the response to Unstarred Question No. 2319 in Lok Sabha regarding the UGC Draft Regulations 2025 on the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, answered on December 15, 2025. It addresses concerns raised by State Legislatures about the regulations encroaching upon state autonomy. The response confirms the UGC's authority to set standards in higher education while emphasizing the consultation process and the intent to balance national standards with state autonomy.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Authority of UGC:**
* Education is on the Concurrent List, giving both Parliament and State Legislatures power to legislate.
* The Central Government has the power to legislate for coordination and determination of standards in higher education.
* The UGC Act empowers the UGC to make regulations regarding the qualifications and standards for teaching staff.
* **Consultation Process:**
* Vice Chancellors of Central universities, Principal Secretaries (Higher Education) of all States, Chairmen of State Higher Education Councils, IITs, IIMs, NITs and industry bodies were consulted.
* The draft regulations were placed in the public domain for feedback from January 6th to February 28th, 2025.
* The UGC will continue consultation process with Universities due to large feedback received.
* **UGC Draft Regulations 2025:**
* The UGC Draft Regulations 2025 reinforce India's federal structure.
* The regulations are designed to ensure academic excellence while respecting the diverse educational frameworks of different States.
* The draft UGC Regulations 2025 provide more autonomy to the States and Higher Education Institutions (HEls).
* The Regulations set minimum standards but allow State Universities to frame their own additional criteria over and above the minimum standards for faculty appointments and promotions.
* Provisions in the draft Regulations for promoting regional languages, Indian Knowledge Systems, and community engagement structures ensure that state-specific priorities are protected.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments**
* **Impact:** State Governments' autonomy in appointing Vice-Chancellors and framing higher education policies has been questioned. The regulations address these concerns by emphasizing the balance between national standards and state autonomy, allowing states to set additional criteria.
* **Action Required:** State Governments should provide feedback and engage in consultations with the UGC to ensure their concerns are addressed in the final regulations.
**Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)**
* **Impact:** HEIs are impacted by the UGC's power to define minimum standards. The consultation process offers HEIs a chance to ensure academic excellence and to balance national standards while respecting the diversity of educational frameworks.
* **Action Required:** HEIs should participate in consultations with the UGC and provide feedback on the draft regulations to ensure they meet their needs and address their concerns.
Key Entities Referenced
UGC Draft Regulations 2025 on Appointment of Vice-Chancellors: Draft regulations by the UGC concerning the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, which is the subject of the question and answer in the document.
University Grants Commission (UGC) Act 1956: The act empowering the UGC to make regulations regarding qualifications of teaching staff.
Ministry of Education: The Union Ministry answering the question regarding the UGC Draft Regulations.
Constitution of India, Schedule VII, List I, Entry 66: Entry in the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India that vests power to legislate for 'Co-ordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education' in the Central Government.
State Legislatures (including Tamil Nadu): State legislative bodies that have passed resolutions seeking withdrawal of the UGC Draft Regulations, citing encroachment upon State autonomy.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2319
ANSWERED ON- 15/12/2025
UGC Draft Regulations 2025 on Appointment of Vice-Chancellors
2319. Shri Murasoli S:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Union Government has taken note of the resolutions passed by State
Legislatures, including Tamil Nadu, seeking withdrawal of the UGC Draft Regulations
2025 on the ground that they encroach upon State autonomy in the appointment of
Vice-Chancellors, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether any corrective or consultative measures have been taken or any
modifications proposed to address the concerns raised by the State Governments, if
so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Union Government proposes to hold structured consultations or
deliberations with State Governments before finalising the said regulations, in view of
education being a subject under the Concurrent List, if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government intends to establish a mechanism to ensure that future
higher education regulatory frameworks reflect cooperative federalism and balanced
participation of both Union and State Governments; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (c): Education is a subject in the Concurrent List and both the Parliament and
the State legislatures have powers to legislate. As per Entry 66 List I of Schedule VII
to the Constitution of India, the power to legislate for "Co-ordination and determination
of standards in institutions for higher education or research and scientific and technical
institutions", vests in the Central Government. Section 26 (1) (e) of University Grants
Commission (UGC) Act 1956 empowers UGC to make Regulations regarding ‘defining
the qualifications that should ordinarily be required of any person to be appointed to
the teaching staff of the University, having regard to the branch of education in which
he is expected to give instruction'. Section 26 (1) (g) of UGG Act 1956 empowers UGCto make regulations 'regulating the maintenance of standards and the co-ordination of
work or facilities in Universities’.
As part of consultation process on the Draft UGC Regulations 2025, Vice Chancellors
of Central universities from all States were consulted and it was also shared with all
the Principal Secretaries (Higher Education) of all States, Chairmen of all State Higher
Education Councils, IITs, IIMs, NITs and industry bodies. UGC placed the draft UGC
(Minimum Qualifications for Appointment & Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff
in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher
Education) Regulations, 2025 in public domain from 6th January to 28th February 2025
for feedback, suggestions and wider consultations. UGC has received feedback on
the draft regulations. Considering the huge response received from stakeholders UGC
has decided to continue the consultation process with Universities.
(d) & (e): The UGC Draft Regulations 2025 strongly uphold and reinforce India’s
federal structure by balancing national standards and state autonomy in higher
education. These Regulations are designed to ensure academic excellence while
respecting the diverse educational frameworks of different States. The draft UGC
Regulations 2025 provide more autonomy to the States and Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs).
The Regulations set minimum standards but allow State Universities to frame their
own additional criteria over and above the minimum standards for faculty
appointments and promotions, preserving the autonomy of state universities.
Provisions in the draft Regulations for promoting regional languages, Indian
Knowledge Systems, and community engagement structures ensure that state-
specific priorities are protected.
****