The newly established regulator, Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan, will oversee regulation, accreditation, and professional standards, but it will not be responsible for funding or the supervision of medical and law colleges.
On Friday, the Union Cabinet approved a bill aimed at consolidating various higher education organizations into a single entity. This new higher education regulator will take the place of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The UGC is responsible for non-technical higher education, while the AICTE manages technical education, and the NCTE regulates teacher education.
This bill was introduced as part of the new National Education Policy (NEP). Initially referred to as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, it has now been renamed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill.
The new regulator will focus on three primary functions: regulation, accreditation, and the establishment of professional standards. It will not engage in funding activities, which are proposed to remain under the purview of the administrative ministry. Furthermore, the new regulatory body will not oversee medical and law colleges.
Initiatives to actualize the HECI began under Dharmendra Pradhan, who became the Union Education Minister in July 2021.
The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) has already highlighted the necessity for a unified higher education regulator. According to NEP 2020, “The regulatory system requires a comprehensive overhaul to rejuvenate the higher education sector and allow it to flourish.” It further states that the new framework should guarantee that the separate functions of regulation, accreditation, funding, and academic standard setting are carried out by distinct, independent, and empowered organizations.
