Higher Education Commission of India

                  Observations and Comments on
                Repealing of UGC and Creation of
           Higher Education Commission of India

 ● Rajebroy,  Presidentresident, Duta:  

DUTA's preliminary response (Note: a more detailed and comprehensive response will follow after the DUTA Executive formally deliberates over the Draft Bill. A detailed response will be sent to the MHRD and shared with the Press.) 

1.The MHRD envisages a systemic overhaul in Higher Education through repealing the UGC Act and creating in its place a new agency called Higher Education Commission of India. It is, however, not clear why this overhaul is necessary and how it will address the needs of higher education in a better way. 

2. The present structure is being completely replaced without providing a detailed study of its founding goals, achievements, its shortcomings and their possible reasons and corrective measures taken or required to improve the health of the UGC. Even as the Government had to shelve proposal of creating HEERA because of opposition received, diamantling of the UGC to create a new agency looks like a quick desperate step in the same direction.

3. It is also not clear how shifting grant functions to the Ministry will result in less interference. On the contrary, we fear that it will result in an increased direct interference  by the Governments. 

4. Further, the existing  UGC Act entrusts it with the responsibility of promoting and coordinating university education, determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities and framing regulations on  minimum standards of education. So it is being falsely suggested that the UGC's functions are limited to disbursal of grants/funds. 

5. The new proposed Act attributes almost identical functions to the Commission but additionally, an increased focus on accreditation and yearly evaluation of higher educational institutions will create a system of over-regulation. 

6. The proposed Act mandates the HECI to promote autonomy of higher education institutions. However, this cannot be achieved if  the Commission is allowed to micromanage institutions by even deciding  learning outcomes of courses of study. 

7. There seems to be an attempt to coorporatise education sector by focusing on homogeneous, one-size-fits-all administrative models and best practices rather than allowing institutions to evolve them over time, based on their specific needs.

8. Further, the twelve membered Commission has no representation from SC/ST/OBC/PwD/Women. Reforms in higher education have to respond to the need of  massification, accessibility and quality. Reforms should also necessarily respond to the social responsibility and it is important to have representation of various sections on the decision making body.

Rajib Ray, President

Vivek Chaudhary, Secretary

 ● Observations of prof.Sadananda, vice-president, West Bengal on Replacement of UGC :
         In the draft of Higher Education Act 2018 there is neither any detailed explanation nor any comparative approach as to why UGC act 1956 in its present form is not capable of promoting uniform development of quality of education in higher educational institutions. Thus it is more a conjecture than an analysis and seems to be a predetermined step with some hidden agenda behind such move.

UGC as it stands with its rules and prevailing autonomy has successfully managed till date the scenario of higher education. Thus repealing such an august institution for the sake of introduction of a high handed corporate approach commission which will be governed and guided entirely by the ruling party will definitely endanger the future of higher education in the country.

The proposed chairman, Vice-Chairman and members of the commission all are nominated members. It may happen that all these personnel save and except VC and Profs (total four) may not be teachers. Thus the interest of teachers will be affected by such more.

The democratic flavor in educational institutions will be totally lost in the policy making processes of higher education until representative of AIFUCTO – ‘the biggest teacher organization of the country’ is accommodated as a member of the commission. Moreover, the stakeholders of the higher education, minority groups, and women are not reflected at all. Thus though inclusive education is the slogan but its implementation is totally absent in the proposed draft.

The Chairman may or may not be a teacher. In the name of educational administrator any industrialist who is managing a private educational institution of higher learning can easily step foot. So also any other person of political choice will get entry into higher education with interest other than education.

Most of the members are secretaries. Thus they may not be educationists. Thus the commission will turn into a house of bureaucrats who will manage the higher educational institution with a motive of profit and in corporate style. Thus the first generation learners, students with less financial strength will not be entertained and promoted and equality in higher education will turn into total non equality.


As per 15(g) of the draft commission can order closure of institution which is detrimental for education.

In 15(a) it is stated that commission will specify learning outcomes for courses of study in higher education. This is outrageous.

In fine, all its activities will totally destroy the autonomy of universities and institutions of higher education.

In point 24 it is the mentioned about Advisory council but does not have any teacher representatives of AIFUCTO. Since MHRD minister will be chairman so no autonomy of its own will remain. “The commission shall take steps to implement the advice rendered by the advisory council” – this statement is speaking of its own.

In 25(2) In case of disagreement it is clearly mentioned ‘ that the decision of the central Government is final.Thus no scope for dissenting voices, no opportunity to move against the decision taken by the centre irrespective of its logical and scientific reasoning or non- reasoning.

Thus this draft is a blatant attack on the democracy of higher education and ultimately this will affect the democratic right of the teachers of the country as a whole.
        -Forwarded by Partha Sarathy-AIFRUCTO

● The draft of Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of UGC Act 1956) Act 2018, in my opinion "appears to be a big farce ON THE FOLLOWING GROUNDS, unnecessarily jeopardizing the higher education system of the country without any tangible or far sighted reasons":

1. In the draft of Higher Education Commission of India..Act 2018 there is neither any detailed explanation nor any comparative approach as to why UGC act 1956 in its present form is not capable of promoting uniform development of quality of education in higher educational institutions, which it did successfully till date.

2. The proposed financial disbursement is already segregated from UGC since 2013, with the introduction of RUSA.

3. The so called autonomy is well ingrained in the functioning as well as policies of the UGC, or if any more was required it could be added without any indicated hitch.

4. Thus, it turns out to be a mere political show off aimed at some hidden agenda- leading us all to a big confusion and chaos for the beginning whole decade.

- Prof Ajeya K Gupta
DDU Gorakhpur University



● ACADEMICS FOR ACTION & DEVELOPMENT (AAD)

PRESS STATEMENT

The draft bill for proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Act 2018, which is going to repeal the UGC Act, 1956, is going to strangulate the higher education and destroy the free space, i.e. autonomy of the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in India. While the UGC Act mandated the commission ‘to inquire into the financial needs of Universities’ and ‘allocate and disburse, out of the fund of the Commission’ to the universities (under section 12 of the UGC Act, 1956). Now the ministry has taken over the direct control over the allocations to be made to the universities, which will clearly convert the universities into merely a department of the government. This will bring the universities under the strict and direct financial control of the MHRD. This shift in financial control to the ministry will be used for regimentation of the knowledge

We should not forget that even the colonial masters did not impede on the autonomous space of the universities and refrained from exerting governmental control over them. In 1903, when Lord Curzon tried to bring Higher Education Council Bill in order to impose control over them, Madras session of the Congress in the same year passed a resolution that the universities under the government control would not meet the objective for which these universities had been created.

The advent of regulatory body means the privatization of the higher education in India, which will make the higher education inaccessible for  poor, SC, ST and OBC students. One of the proposed functions of the HECI is to lay down the standard for autonomous colleges and graded autonomy for universities, which is nothing but blatant privatization and contractualisation.

The composition of search and selection committees consisting of the Cabinet Secretary alongwith Higher Education Secretary and three coopted academicians provides total governmental control over the appointment of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The twelve members of this body are largely drawn from the Secretaries of the Departments (03), Chairpersons of other regulatory bodies of education (02) and Chairpersons of accreditation bodies (02). The ex-officio members and bureaucrats have dominant presence, which will tighten the noose over the academic freedom of the universities.

While UGC has 4 teacher members out of total 10 members, the HECI has only 2 teacher members out of total 12 members. Thus the proposed draft has drastically reduced the teachers’ representation.

The blueprint of this draft bill has been heavily drawn from Gujarat State Higher Education Council Act, which paved the way for rampant privatization and contractualisation there. The Gujarat Model has been marked by the liquidation of public-funded Higher Education Institutions, rather than their growth.

 -Press Secretary

Richa Raj/SBN Tiwari/Chittaranjan Kumar/Ashok/Rajesh Jha

                     Courtesy: Whatsapp Messages.