TN opposes Higher Education Bill; says no to scrapping UGC
The Tamil Nadu government today strongly opposed the Center's draft Bill on setting up a Higher Education Commission and wanted the existing arrangement with the University Grants Commission at the helm to continue. "The existing institutional arrangement of the University Grants Commission (UGC) with both regulatory and financial powers is functioning well," Chief Minister K Palaniswami said in a letter to PM Narendra Modi.
No need to disband UGC, says Palaniswami
Palaniswami said that there was no need to disband UGC and replace it with Higher Education Commission of India with only regulatory powers. He said UGC has the required capacity for objective evaluation of proposals received and to sanction funds in a transparent manner, adding that its financial powers are an additional enabling mechanism for the body to ensure implementation of its recommendations.
Bill proposes transferring financial powers to MHRD
CM Palaniswami said in the draft bill on Higher Education Commission of India, the financial powers are proposed to be transferred to the Ministry of Human Resources Development or some other body. Voicing the TN government's strong "reservations and apprehensions" over the move, he said, "Our experience of sanction of funds...by various Ministries based on merits to Tamil Nadu has not been very positive."
Palaniswami requests PM to continue present institution of UGC
"If this financial power is taken over by the MHRD, we apprehend that the funding pattern would change from 100% funding to 60:40 ratio between the Government of India and the state government," Palaniswami said. So, the TN government "strongly opposes the draft Bill on Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Act 2018," he stated.
