Overview
- The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 proposes replacing the UGC, AICTE and NCTE with one apex commission overseeing three councils for regulation, accreditation and standards.
- Lok Sabha approved referral to a Joint Parliamentary Committee comprising 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members to scrutinize the legislation.
- Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says state powers and institutional autonomy will be preserved, with new state representation on the councils and state universities continuing under existing arrangements.
- The Bill brings Institutes of National Importance such as IITs and IIMs under the framework for data submission and benchmarking, with the government asserting their autonomy will continue.
- Regulation is separated from funding, shifting grants to Ministry-run mechanisms informed by regulator feedback, while critics warn of centralization through appointment controls, policy-direction and supersession powers, and penalties up to ₹2 crore.