metro india news  I hyderabad

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu has criticized the Centre’s UGC draft guidelines, likening them to a system where states must pay but cannot decide their own policies. He emphasized that education is on the concurrent list and not the monopoly of the Central government.

Speaking at the National Convention on Higher Education in Thiruvananthapuram, Vikramarka argued that the Centre expects states to fund and run universities while stripping them of decision-making power in Vice-Chancellor appointments and admissions. This, he warned, would reduce states to a ceremonial role. He stressed that each state has unique educational needs and should have the autonomy to shape its policies accordingly. 

States must stand united in asserting their role in the education system, he said, urging the Centre to respect cooperative federalism through consultation rather than coercion. In his powerpoint presentation, Bhatti highlighted Telangana’s educational reforms, including the establishment of Integrated Residential Schools, Young India Skill University, skill development initiatives, and Digital Telangana programs. He noted that these efforts increased student enrollment to 40% compared to the national average of 28.4%.

He raised concerns over mandatory entrance tests for undergraduate admissions, arguing that they would disadvantage backward-class students. He also warned that the new enrollment criteria favour corporate institutions over public education. Large-scale investments in faculty and infrastructure would be necessary if the proposed reforms were to be implemented.

Quoting Supreme Court judgments, he stressed that federalism is a core principle of the Indian Constitution. He called for states to collectively push for genuine federalism and proposed that Telangana host the next education conference to develop a unified action plan against the Centre’s unilateral action on UGC.