Saurabh Mukherjee
A sweeping overhaul of India’s higher education regulatory framework moved a step forward on Monday (December 15) with the introduction of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha.
The bill, however, met resistance from Opposition members at the introduction stage, who accused the Union government of seeking to overcentralise education and also objected to its Hindi nomenclature.
Amid the objections, the government agreed to refer the proposed law to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The legislation aims to repeal three existing laws — the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987 and the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 — and replace them with a new regulatory architecture for higher education.
At the centre of the proposed framework is an apex umbrella body, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan, intended to guide the “comprehensive and holistic growth” of universities and higher education institutions (HEIs).
Alongside the apex body, the bill proposes the creation of three separate councils: the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad as the regulatory council, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad for accreditation, and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad to ensure academic standards across institutions.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the bill draws its rationale from the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which calls for a revamp of the education system’s structure, regulation and governance to align it with the needs of 21st-century education.
It states that the legislation is being brought because the NEP, 2020 “considers that the regulatory system is in need of a complete overhaul in order to re-energise the higher education sector and enable it to thrive”.
“The NEP, 2020 envisions a ‘light but tight’ regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency and resource efficiency of the educational system through audit and public disclosure while encouraging innovation and out-of-the- box ideas through autonomy, good governance and empowerment,” the Statement of Objects and Reasons says.
Under the proposed law, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan will comprise a chairperson and 12 other members, all to be appointed by the President of India. Each of the three councils will have 14 members, with their presidents and members also appointed by the President on the recommendation of a search-cum-selection committee constituted by the Union government.
Several provisions of the bill grant extensive powers to the Centre. Clauses 45 and 47 state that all bodies established under the Act will be bound by policy directions issued by the Union government.
In the event of any disagreement over whether a matter constitutes a policy issue, “the decision of the Union government shall be final”. The bill further provides that the Centre may direct the commission or the councils to carry out any additional functions it deems fit.
Clause 47 also empowers the Union government to supersede the commission or any of the councils. It states that “if at any time central government is of the opinion” that any body has failed to perform its functions or comply with government directions, it may supersede it. In such a scenario, the chairperson or presidents and members would be required to vacate office, with the Union government assuming their functions until the body is reconstituted.
Financially, the commission will be funded by the Union government and will operate through a dedicated fund.
“The commission shall have its own fund to be called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Fund and all sums which may, from time to time, be granted to it by the central government and all the receipts of the commission and the councils (including any sum which any state government or any other authority or person may deposit) shall be carried to the fund and all payments by the commission and councils shall be made therefrom,” the bill states.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons argues that the new framework has been necessitated by the rapid expansion of higher education in India, which has led to the “establishment of several statutory regulatory bodies, requiring multiple approvals by higher educational institutions, inspections, etc., resulting in over-regulation of the sector and duplication of control”.
It adds, “There exists a strong need for providing simplified regulatory systems for higher educational institutions in the country.”
Despite these justifications, Opposition members opposed the bill at the introduction stage, warning that the concentration of powers in the Centre undermines federal principles and sidelines state governments. They also questioned the choice of a Hindi title for a law governing education nationwide. Responding to the criticism, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that given the scope and complexity of the proposed legislation, it would be examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The bill, however, met resistance from Opposition members at the introduction stage, who accused the Union government of seeking to overcentralise education and also objected to its Hindi nomenclature.
Amid the objections, the government agreed to refer the proposed law to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The legislation aims to repeal three existing laws — the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987 and the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 — and replace them with a new regulatory architecture for higher education.
At the centre of the proposed framework is an apex umbrella body, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan, intended to guide the “comprehensive and holistic growth” of universities and higher education institutions (HEIs).
Alongside the apex body, the bill proposes the creation of three separate councils: the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad as the regulatory council, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad for accreditation, and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad to ensure academic standards across institutions.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the bill draws its rationale from the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which calls for a revamp of the education system’s structure, regulation and governance to align it with the needs of 21st-century education.
It states that the legislation is being brought because the NEP, 2020 “considers that the regulatory system is in need of a complete overhaul in order to re-energise the higher education sector and enable it to thrive”.
“The NEP, 2020 envisions a ‘light but tight’ regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency and resource efficiency of the educational system through audit and public disclosure while encouraging innovation and out-of-the- box ideas through autonomy, good governance and empowerment,” the Statement of Objects and Reasons says.
Under the proposed law, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan will comprise a chairperson and 12 other members, all to be appointed by the President of India. Each of the three councils will have 14 members, with their presidents and members also appointed by the President on the recommendation of a search-cum-selection committee constituted by the Union government.
Several provisions of the bill grant extensive powers to the Centre. Clauses 45 and 47 state that all bodies established under the Act will be bound by policy directions issued by the Union government.
In the event of any disagreement over whether a matter constitutes a policy issue, “the decision of the Union government shall be final”. The bill further provides that the Centre may direct the commission or the councils to carry out any additional functions it deems fit.
Clause 47 also empowers the Union government to supersede the commission or any of the councils. It states that “if at any time central government is of the opinion” that any body has failed to perform its functions or comply with government directions, it may supersede it. In such a scenario, the chairperson or presidents and members would be required to vacate office, with the Union government assuming their functions until the body is reconstituted.
Financially, the commission will be funded by the Union government and will operate through a dedicated fund.
“The commission shall have its own fund to be called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Fund and all sums which may, from time to time, be granted to it by the central government and all the receipts of the commission and the councils (including any sum which any state government or any other authority or person may deposit) shall be carried to the fund and all payments by the commission and councils shall be made therefrom,” the bill states.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons argues that the new framework has been necessitated by the rapid expansion of higher education in India, which has led to the “establishment of several statutory regulatory bodies, requiring multiple approvals by higher educational institutions, inspections, etc., resulting in over-regulation of the sector and duplication of control”.
It adds, “There exists a strong need for providing simplified regulatory systems for higher educational institutions in the country.”
Despite these justifications, Opposition members opposed the bill at the introduction stage, warning that the concentration of powers in the Centre undermines federal principles and sidelines state governments. They also questioned the choice of a Hindi title for a law governing education nationwide. Responding to the criticism, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that given the scope and complexity of the proposed legislation, it would be examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
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