A bill to establish a single regulator for higher education, named the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, is expected to be tabled in Parliament next week after receiving approval from the Union Cabinet on Friday. The proposed legislation aims to empower universities and other higher education institutions to become independent and self-governing.

The bill seeks to replace existing regulatory bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) with a unified entity. However, medical and law colleges will not fall under the purview of the new regulator.

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, previously known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, envisions a streamlined regulatory framework for higher education, research, and scientific and technical institutions nationwide. The new commission is proposed to have three primary roles: regulation, accreditation, and establishing professional standards. Funding, considered a separate vertical, is expected to remain with the administrative ministry.

The bill aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020's vision of streamlining the higher education sector, which is currently governed by multiple regulators with overlapping functions. The NEP 2020 proposed four key functions for HECI: the National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation, the National Accreditation Council (NAC) for accreditation, the Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding, and the General Education Council (GEC) for setting learning outcomes.

This is not the first time that a bill to replace the UGC has been proposed. In 2018, the Modi government introduced a draft HECI Bill with the goal of establishing a unified regulatory body. That bill envisioned a commission with a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and 12 members responsible for setting standards and granting autonomy. However, it did not fully incorporate AICTE or NCTE, nor did it empower HECI to disburse funds, leaving financial control with the Ministry of Education. The bill faced criticism from several opposition-ruled states for centralizing power.

If passed, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill will establish HECI as the single authority responsible for coordinating and maintaining standards across higher education sectors. Currently, the UGC oversees non-technical higher education, AICTE regulates technical education, and NCTE governs teacher education.