Hyderabad: State universities in Telangana could risk losing UGC grants and recognition if the government has its way. The government inten-ds to amend the Andhra Pradesh Universities Act to “regain” comple-te control over the selection of vice-chancellors.

This will allow the government to select a person for the post of the vice-chancellor and the same person has to be appointed by the Governor.

By next month, all the state varsities in Telangana will be without vice-chancellors. There has been extensive procrastination in the matter but it app-ears the government wants to amend the law before the appointment of the VCs.

Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, recently said in the Assembly, “Previous governments made changes to the Universities Act of 1991 and lost their right. You send three names from here and somebody else will select one from among them. I want to make some changes. If possible, we will bring the Bill in this session.”

The AP Universities Act of 1991 mandated that a search committee would suggest a panel of three names out of which one would be selected by the government and sent to the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of state universities, for appointment. But UGC guidelines state that the “Chancellor shall appo-int the vice-chancellor out of the panel of names selected by the search committee.”