JUN students protest HRD Ministry's decision to scrap UGC

A section of teachers and students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University today staged a protest near the Ministry of Human Resource Development here against the proposed move of the government to replace the UGC with a higher education commission.

The protest was also attended by various students outfits, including the All India Students Association (AISA) and Students' Federation of India (SFI).

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had recently announced its decision to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC) with the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) by repealing the UGC Act, 1951.

According to a draft bill, which has been placed in the public domain by the ministry to seek feedback from the stakeholders, the new commission will solely focus on academic matters while monetary grants would be under the purview of the ministry.

"The series of latest decisions by the MHRD such as imposing self-financing and government fund-cut in the name of autonomy, the proposal to scrap the UGC and the latest declaration regarding Institute of Eminence pose major challenge for the future of affordable higher education in the country," said Sucheta De, president of the AISA.

The protesters raised slogans against the MHRD and demanded it to revoke its decision.