Higher Education Bill May Centralise Regulatory Powers, Affect University Autonomy: Parliament Panel Report
PTI | 17 July 2026 | The Telegraph
A joint committee of Parliament has raised concerns that the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025 could concentrate extensive regulatory powers in a single central authority, potentially undermining the institutional autonomy currently available under the existing higher education framework.
The observations are part of the draft report of the joint parliamentary committee circulated to its members ahead of the bill being taken up for consideration and passage after the report is adopted.
Introduced in the Lok Sabha in December last year, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill seeks to overhaul India's higher education regulatory system by replacing the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) with a single unified regulatory commission.
The legislation aims to implement the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 by restructuring higher education governance into three specialised councils responsible for regulation, accreditation and standards.