Centre to table Bill for single higher education regulator next week

A Bill seeking to establish a single regulator for institutions of higher education is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week after it received the Union Cabinet’s approval on Friday, officials said.

The proposed legislation aims to enable universities and other higher education institutions to function as independent and self-governing bodies, while promoting academic excellence through a transparent regulatory framework.

Earlier known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, the draft law has now been renamed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, officials said.

The Bill seeks to set up a single higher education regulator, as envisaged under the National Education Policy (NEP), replacing the existing regulatory bodies — the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

“The Bill proposes to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy. It is likely to be introduced (in Parliament) in the coming week,” an official said.

At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in the country.

Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function as a single regulator for higher education institutions, though medical and law colleges will remain outside its ambit.

Officials said the regulator is proposed to have three key roles — regulation, accreditation, and setting professional standards. Funding, considered a fourth vertical, will not come under the regulator at this stage, with financial autonomy proposed to remain with the administrative ministry.