Source: HT
Context:
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 seeks to overhaul India’s higher education regulatory architecture by creating a single umbrella body, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The Bill aims to end multiplicity of regulators, reduce over-regulation, and introduce a “light but tight” regulatory framework.
Core Objective of the Bill
- Establish a single higher education regulator
- Separate funding functions from regulation, standard-setting, and accreditation
- Replace existing statutory bodies:
- University Grants Commission (UGC)
- All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
- National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (Commission)
- Type: Apex coordinating body for higher education.
- Role: Strategic direction, coordination among councils, policy roadmap.
- Composition:
- Chairperson: Eminent person, appointed by the President of India.
- Members (up to 12):
- Presidents of 3 councils
- Higher Education Secretary (MoE)
- 2 professors from state HEIs
- 5 experts
- Functions:
- Roadmap for multidisciplinary and research universities
- Integrate Bharatiya knowledge, languages, and arts
- Formulate and recommend education schemes
Councils Under the Commission
- Regulatory Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad)
- Role: Single regulator for higher education (excl. medicine, law, etc.)
- Functions:
- Mandatory accreditation & graded autonomy
- Public disclosure of finances, courses, governance
- Specify minimum standards for establishment & operations
- Authorise institutions to grant degrees
- Regulate select foreign universities
- Revoke authorisation for violations
- Penalties: ₹10 lakh – ₹2 crore; maximum penalty for unauthorised institutions
- Exclusions: Cannot disburse grants or regulate fees
- Standards Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad)
- Functions:
- Frame learning outcomes, qualification frameworks
- Set academic & institutional standards
- Define minimum staff qualifications
- Functions:
- Accreditation Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad)
- Functions:
- Develop & supervise Institutional Accreditation Framework
- Accreditation based on institutional data & public disclosures
- Functions:
