The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a landmark bill to overhaul India’s higher education regulatory framework by replacing multiple statutory bodies with a single unified regulator, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP).
The proposed legislation, earlier known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been renamed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill. Once enacted, it will subsume the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), streamlining oversight across the higher education sector.
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At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE is responsible for teacher education. The new single regulator aims to end overlapping jurisdictions and create a more cohesive governance structure.
According to the proposal, the new body will have three core functions — regulation, accreditation, and the setting of professional standards. It will not be responsible for funding, with financial autonomy and allocations remaining under the purview of the concerned administrative ministries. The regulator will also not exercise oversight over medical and law colleges, which will continue to be governed by their respective statutory bodies.
The move follows years of deliberations under the NEP framework to modernise and simplify higher education governance. Efforts to operationalise the HECI concept gained momentum after Dharmendra Pradhan assumed charge as Union Education Minister in July 2021.
The government believes the new regulatory architecture will enhance transparency, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and promote quality and innovation across India’s higher education ecosystem.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
