Jagadesh Kumar Mamidala has retired as Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), concluding a tenure marked by substantial reforms in higher education aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Appointed in February 2022, Mr. Kumar’s leadership initiated critical policy changes—ranging from curriculum flexibility in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to regulatory shifts aimed at internationalisation and institutional autonomy.
Mr. Kumar is an academician by training. Born in Mamidala village, Nalgonda district, Telangana, he completed his Master’s and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras and later pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Before taking charge at the UGC, he served as Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, from 2016 to 2022.
Significant NEP 2020-aligned Initiatives
Throughout his term, Mr. Kumar consistently advocated for the vision of NEP 2020. His public statements emphasized academic freedom and multidisciplinary learning. At one such event, he said, “Let the students think freely, without any constraints of disciplinary boundaries. Students should not be conformists; they should challenge the status quo and question everything they study.”
A major reform under his leadership was the Draft UGC (Minimum Standards of Instructions in the Award of UG and PG Degrees) Regulations 2024. These proposed a flexible academic structure—permitting multidisciplinary education, multiple entries and exits, and recognition of prior learning. Students were offered options for accelerated or extended degree programmes, thereby tailoring education to individual pace and need.
UGC-CARE List Dissolution
One of the most debated changes during his tenure was the discontinuation of the UGC-CARE list, which had served as a curated database of reputable academic journals since 2018. It was replaced with suggestive quality parameters covering eight criteria to help scholars make informed decisions. While the move was positioned as a shift toward more flexible academic standards, it drew criticism from those who saw the list as an essential quality benchmark.
Global Degree Recognition
Mr. Kumar also introduced the UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications Obtained from Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2025. These allow Indian recognition of degrees obtained from offshore campuses of foreign institutions, representing a key step toward global academic alignment and student mobility.
Structural Challenges and Criticism
Despite the intent behind these reforms, challenges were evident. Critics pointed to systemic issues including insufficient faculty strength, underfunded colleges, and inadequate training to implement such wide-ranging changes uniformly. The disparity between autonomous institutions and affiliated colleges made implementation uneven, especially in regions where resources are limited.
Another controversial area was the increased role of Governors in university governance, particularly in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors. This was seen by some as infringing on state autonomy, igniting debates on federalism and institutional independence.
Conclusion
Jagadesh Kumar’s tenure as UGC Chairman was transformative and ideologically aligned with the NEP 2020. His reforms sparked both optimism and debate—highlighting the complexity of overhauling a diverse and vast education system like India’s. While some reforms are still under implementation or revision, his tenure will be remembered for its ambition to redefine higher education through flexibility, transparency, and global relevance.
As the UGC prepares for a leadership transition, stakeholders await how the next phase of policy implementation will unfold—and whether the systemic gaps highlighted during Mr. Kumar’s tenure will be addressed in future frameworks.
