States Should Lead in Education Policy: Ex-NUALS V-C N.K. Jayakumar

Quick Summary

• Former NUALS Vice-Chancellor N.K. Jayakumar emphasized that State-enacted University Acts have precedence over UGC regulations.
• Speaking at a seminar, he urged States to restore education to teh State List of the Constitution from its current position in the Concurrent List.
• Questioned the Supreme Court’s interpretation giving primacy to UGC regulations over State laws, citing their elevation to Central law status as surprising.
• Criticized Governors referring State Assembly-passed Bills concerning Chancellor roles in universities to the President, arguing such Bills do not contravene Central laws or raise constitutional disputes.
• Highlighted procedural overreach in Kerala University’s suspension of Registrar K.S. Anil Kumar by maintaining that a Vice-Chancellor’s disciplinary power extends only up to Deputy Registrar-level officials under University Acts.
• Decried comments framing Vice-Chancellors as chief executives; identified statutory bodies (Syndicate, Senate, Academic Council) as true governing authorities for universities.
• Kerala Council for Historical research chairperson K.N. Ganesh criticized the four-year undergraduate program implemented in Kerala universities for being employment-centric adn disconnected from local societal needs with limited student choices.

Indian Opinion Analysis
the seminar highlighted deeper structural and governance-related tensions between centralized regulatory norms like UGC guidelines and constitutionally-mandated state powers under India’s federal system. This issue reflects broader debates about autonomy in higher education policymaking amidst increasing central regulation trends.

Prof. Jayakumar’s critique reaffirms concerns about Governors’ use of discretionary powers on legislative matters related to States’ interests-a recurring point of contention undermining cooperative federalism principles in India.

On academic governance within universities, his emphasis on statutory bodies signals an important reminder about shared responsibilities versus concentrated administrative authority-integral for maintaining institutional democracy and trust.

Criticism around curriculum restructuring raises pertinent questions regarding balancing employability-driven education reforms with preserving socio-cultural context relevance-a challenge requiring careful deliberation by state policymakers.

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