The Union Cabinet on Friday cleared the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, which proposes setting up a single regulator for higher education in India. The new body will replace existing statutory institutions such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
The bill is set to be introduced during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. It was earlier known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill. The proposal follows recommendations made in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which called for a unified regulatory authority to simplify governance and oversight in the higher education sector.
As per earlier reports, the proposed regulator will combine the roles currently performed by the UGC, AICTE and NCTE. It will oversee academic regulation, accreditation and the setting of professional standards for higher education institutions, while medical and legal colleges will remain outside its scope. The responsibility for funding is expected to stay with the concerned ministry, not the regulator.
Background of the unified regulator proposal
The idea of a single higher education regulator is not new. A draft version of the HECI Bill was first circulated in 2018 with the aim of repealing the UGC Act and creating a central commission. However, it faced strong opposition from various stakeholders over fears of excessive centralisation and was eventually shelved.
The current bill marks a renewed attempt to carry forward the NEP 2020 vision, with a broader framework that also brings technical and teacher education under the proposed authority.
How the bill aligns with NEP 2020
NEP 2020 had suggested a restructuring of higher education governance by separating key functions such as regulation, accreditation, academic standards and funding into different verticals. This was intended to reduce overlap, improve efficiency and ensure accountability.
While the new bill keeps the idea of a unified regulator at its core, financial powers are likely to remain with the government. This reflects a partial implementation of the vertical structure outlined in the education policy.