Professor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the College Grants Fee (UGC), has retired from his place. He assumed the function in February 2022. Throughout his tenure, he undertook a number of vital initiatives, together with the introduction of the Central College Entrance Take a look at (CUET) for each undergraduate and postgraduate admissions. He additionally performed a key function in implementing points of the Nationwide Schooling Coverage (NEP) 2022. Amongst different measures, he proposed dissolving the UGC CARE Listing and advocated for elevated flexibility within the academic {qualifications} required for college recruitment.
As of now, the Ministry of Schooling has not notified any title for the vacant place.
Mamidala not solely served because the UGC Chairman but additionally the vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru College (JNU) from 2016-2022.
Farewell to Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar
The College Grants Fee bids a heartfelt farewell to Chairman Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90).
His tenure was marked by a collection of unprecedented student-centric reforms and far-reaching institutional adjustments throughout the… pic.twitter.com/kJSg6zNDpQ
— UGC INDIA (@ugc_india) April 7, 2025
Listed below are a few of the initiatives taken by former UGC Chief
–The College Grants Fee (UGC) has allowed larger training establishments to confess college students twice a 12 months. Whereas earlier laws allowed college students to be admitted solely throughout July-August, the UGC’s latest resolution signifies that college students can now be admitted in January/February and in July/August throughout the upcoming educational session. The UGC’s resolution now leaves it to the establishments to determine in the event that they wish to supply admissions in each cycles or only one relying on their infrastructure and college.
–The College Grants Fee launched the draft tips for the apprenticeship embedded diploma programme with the intention to allow a pupil admitted to an undergraduate programme of a Increased Instructional Establishment to pursue apprenticeship coaching as an built-in part of the diploma programme in compliance with these tips.
— The College Grants Fee (UGC) has began the appliance for the Ishan Uday Scholarship for the North Jap Area (NER).
— It additionally eased the hiring contract lecturers and opens the vice chancellor submit to non-academics.
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—Below his tenure, he additionally launched the Minimal {Qualifications} for Appointment and Promotion of Lecturers and Educational Employees in Universities and Schools and Measures for the Upkeep of Requirements in Increased Schooling) Laws, 2025. UGC Chairman Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar had earlier instructed The Indian Categorical, “The Draft UGC Laws 2025 goals to make sure the best requirements in universities by introducing a extra inclusive and clear choice course of. The first goal is to boost the standard of training, promote analysis innovation, align college governance with world finest practices, and fulfil the transformative imaginative and prescient of Nationwide Schooling Coverage (NEP) 2020. We welcome constructive suggestions and work collaboratively to strengthen our nation’s larger training system.”
— The Fee additionally launched the draft laws on selling fairness in larger training establishments. The draft referred to as for ‘Fairness committees’ to look into complaints of discrimination; ‘fairness squads’ to keep up “vigil” and forestall such incidents; and an ‘fairness helpline’ for reporting instances. The 2025 draft laws have retained the supply of equal alternative centres, although this time its functioning and composition has been spelled out.
–The UGC introduced a brand new set of laws to streamline the method of recognising and granting equivalence to educational {qualifications} obtained from overseas establishments. The UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to {Qualifications} Obtained from International Instructional Establishments) Laws, 2025, permit for the popularity of {qualifications} obtained from offshore campuses of overseas establishments, supplied they meet particular standards.
–The Draft UGC (Minimal Requirements of Directions within the Award of UG and PG Levels) Laws, 2024, proposed vital adjustments to each the admission course of and the structural framework of educational programmes. He additionally launched provisions for a number of entry and exit factors, recognition of prior studying, in addition to accelerated and prolonged diploma programmes, enabling the length of undergraduate programs to be shortened or prolonged.
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— Discontinuation of the UGC-CARE listing—a curated listing of high quality educational journals first launched in 2018. It has now been changed with a set of indicative parameters for choosing journals, based mostly on eight particular standards.
— Throughout his tenure, the UGC launched a brand new set of laws aimed toward simplifying the method of recognizing and granting equivalence to educational {qualifications} earned from overseas establishments. The UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to {Qualifications} Obtained from International Instructional Establishments) Laws, 2025, now allow the popularity of {qualifications} obtained from offshore campuses of overseas universities.
