Education
Cabinet clears bill for single higher education regulator, ends UGC era
NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, clearing the way for a single regulator for higher education and signalling the end of legacy bodies such as the University Grants Commission, the All India Council for Technical Education and the National Council for Teacher Education.
The legislation, set to be introduced in the ongoing winter session of parliament, was earlier drafted as the Higher Education Commission of India Bill. It revives a long-running reform push outlined in the National Education Policy 2020 to streamline oversight of India’s fragmented higher education system.
Under the proposed framework, a unified authority will take charge of academic regulation, accreditation and professional standards across higher education institutions, excluding medical and legal colleges. Financial control and funding powers will remain with the relevant ministry, rather than the regulator itself.
The move resurrects an idea first floated in 2018, when an earlier version of the HECI Bill proposed repealing the UGC Act. That attempt stalled after resistance from universities and academics wary of excessive centralisation.
The revised bill reflects a renewed push to implement the NEP 2020 vision, expanding the scope of regulation to include technical and teacher education under a single umbrella.
While the policy had proposed splitting higher education governance into distinct verticals: regulation, accreditation, academic standards and funding, the new bill adopts a more consolidated approach, with the government retaining control over finances while centralising academic oversight.
