Higher Education:

                                     Press Release


      ACADEMICS FOR ACTION & DEVELOPMENT                                              (AAD)


              The approval of UGC (Categorization of Universities for Grant of Graded Autonomy) Regulations 2018 by the commission on 9th January 2018 represents the government's push for privatisation of existing public-funded institutions and encouragement of de-novo private institutions.

In the garb of graded autonomy and freedom to open new departments/courses in self-financing mode, the present courses run by the colleges and universities are going to be decimated. The freedom is infact a trap for self-destruction. The draft regulations provide for:

1. All universities and colleges would be graded in categories I/II/III.

2. The institutions with NAAC score of more than 3.5 or NIRF ranking upto first 50 will be parked in  Category I.

3. The institutions with NAAC score between 3.25 and 3.5 or NIRF ranking between 51 to 100 will be in Category II.

4. The remaining institutions will be in Category III.

5. The central universities under category I would get Autonomy without any expert committee visit. Such institutions can run their own departments/syllabi but in a self-financing mode.

6. The board of management will decide the variable salary and service conditions of individuals.

7. The board of management will be free to appoint foreign faculty upto 20℅ at negotiable lucrative salary and admit foreign students upto 20%.

8. In the name of autonomy the existing institutions will be transformed into teaching shops running market-friendly courses through their off campus branches and distance education outlets.

9. The so-called autonomous institutions will have market oriented fee structure with the amount soaring up to lakhs as documented in these regulations, where the non-returnable processing fees is Rs. 10000 if a student withdraws after having taken admission.

What is most unfortunate is that no discussions were held with the stakeholders, the teachers, non-teaching staff and students who will be adversely affected by the government's brazen agenda of privatisation of higher education. Such a serious decision was taken without any discussion with DUTA and FEDCUTA. 
AAD strongly opposes this decision of the UGC and appeals to the MHRD to reject these draconian regulations completely as it would lead to the exploitation of teachers, non-teaching staff and students.

                              Press Secretary