The Indian government has taken a significant step towards overhauling the regulatory framework for higher education with the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025. Introduced in the Lok Sabha and referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed scrutiny earlier this week, the proposed legislation aims to create a single, unified higher education commission. This new body would subsume three major existing regulators: the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
What Does the New Education Bill Propose?
The core objective of the Bill is to streamline governance and eliminate overlapping jurisdictions. The proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan will be an umbrella commission coordinating three specialized councils. The Regulatory Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad) will authorize institutions to grant degrees. The Standards Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad) will define learning outcomes and staff qualifications for programs. The Accreditation Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad) will develop and oversee a unified accreditation framework.
The Bill's scope is vast, covering a wide array of institutions including Institutions of National Importance (INIs) like IITs, IIMs, NITs, and IISERs, along with Central and state universities and deemed-to-be universities. However, it will not apply to medical, legal, pharmaceutical, dental, and veterinary institutions, which continue under their respective professional councils. Appointments to the new bodies will be made by the President on the recommendation of the Central government, with state nominees included on a rotational basis in two of the councils.
Centralisation Debate and Shift from Existing System
The proposal has ignited a political and academic debate. While the government, represented by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, emphasizes the need for a uniform system to avoid overlap, Opposition MPs have criticized the move as an "excessive centralisation of higher education." Educationists acknowledge the potential for structural clarity but caution that the ultimate impact hinges on implementation details still being worked out.
The current regulatory landscape is fragmented. The UGC oversees general higher education, AICTE regulates technical courses, and NCTE governs teacher education. Accreditation is handled separately by NAAC and NBA. Notably, prestigious INIs and some central universities operate under their own Acts of Parliament, enjoying significant autonomy. The Bill seeks to bring most of this under one roof, marking a fundamental shift.
Key changes include:
- Removal of grant-disbursal power: Unlike the UGC and AICTE, the new regulatory council will not disburse grants. This function will reside directly with the Education Ministry, a departure from the NEP 2020's suggestion of a separate grants council.
- Enhanced penalty powers: The new regulator can impose penalties from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 2 crore, a substantial increase from the UGC's current cap of Rs 1,000, aimed at curbing unauthorized universities.
Historical Context and Expert Perspectives on the Merger
The idea of a single higher education regulator is not new. It was envisioned in the 1986 NEP and later championed by the National Knowledge Commission in 2005. A similar attempt, the Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011, was introduced but later withdrawn in 2014 after a parliamentary committee raised concerns about centralisation undermining India's federal polity. Another draft in 2018 also stalled.
Experts have offered nuanced views on the 2025 Bill. Former AICTE Chairman SS Mantha welcomed the potential to resolve conflicting diktats from multiple regulators. "Bringing them together might bring in a set of rules that are not overlapping, and provide direction and clarity," he told The Indian Express. He also supported the de-linking of rule-making and grant-giving to avoid conflict of interest.
Former HRD Secretary Ashok Thakur called it a conceptually good move for uniform policy but highlighted practical challenges. "Absorbing [AICTE] is going to be a challenge. It will be a major exercise... controlling this elephant," he said. He also noted that bringing autonomous INIs under the new regulator could face resentment.
Critics, including the Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA), have expressed apprehension. They argue that direct funding control by the Ministry, combined with the appointment structure, guarantees Central Government control and could undermine university autonomy. The Bill's journey through the JPC will be crucial in addressing these concerns and shaping the final architecture of India's higher education regulation.
