What Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill proposes: Single higher education body, simpler regulatory system

India's higher education sector, a massive ecosystem catering to millions of students, has long grappled with a fragmented and often cumbersome regulatory framework. The proposed 'Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill' emerges as a pivotal legislative initiative aimed at fundamentally restructuring this landscape by proposing a single higher education body and a simpler regulatory system. This move is not merely an administrative overhaul but a strategic step towards realizing the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by fostering quality, innovation, and global competitiveness in education.

Historically, Indian higher education has been governed by a multitude of regulatory bodies, each with its own mandate and jurisdiction. The University Grants Commission (UGC), established in 1956 under the UGC Act, is responsible for coordination, determination, and maintenance of standards of university education. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), set up in 1987 under the AICTE Act, oversees technical education. Besides these, specialized bodies like the Medical Council of India (MCI, now National Medical Commission - NMC), Bar Council of India (BCI), and others regulate specific professional fields. This multi-regulator system, while intended to ensure specialized oversight, often led to overlapping jurisdictions, regulatory inconsistencies, 'inspector raj,' and administrative bottlenecks, hindering institutional autonomy, innovation, and responsiveness to evolving educational needs. Several committees, including the Yashpal Committee (2009), have highlighted these issues and recommended a unified regulatory structure.

The 'Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill' is a direct response to these long-standing challenges and aligns seamlessly with the transformational vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP 2020 explicitly recommended the establishment of a single overarching umbrella body, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), to replace existing regulators, thereby creating a 'light but tight' regulatory framework. The proposed Bill is expected to formalize this concept, consolidating the functions of various bodies into one cohesive entity. This new body is envisioned to focus on four independent verticals: regulation (National Higher Education Regulatory Council - NHERC), accreditation (National Accreditation Council - NAC), funding (Higher Education Grants Council - HEGC), and academic standards (General Education Council - GEC), as outlined in NEP 2020.

Key stakeholders in this reform include the Ministry of Education (the primary architect), existing regulatory bodies (UGC, AICTE, etc., whose powers will be rationalized or subsumed), universities and colleges (who will experience a simplified regulatory environment), faculty members (who stand to benefit from academic freedom and quality improvements), students (who will gain from enhanced educational quality and better access), and even the industry (which seeks a skilled workforce). The proposed framework aims to shift the focus from prescriptive regulations to outcomes-based accreditation, fostering greater autonomy and accountability among institutions.

This reform holds immense significance for India. Economically, a simplified regulatory system can reduce compliance burdens, encourage private investment in higher education, and facilitate the entry of foreign universities, boosting India's position as a global education hub. Socially, by promoting quality and accessibility, it can help harness India's demographic dividend, ensuring that its large youth population is adequately skilled for the future workforce. Politically, it demonstrates the government's commitment to good governance and policy coherence in a critical sector. By streamlining processes, it aims to enhance the ease of doing business in the education sector and improve India's global rankings in higher education.

Constitutionally, education falls under the Concurrent List (Entry 25, List III of the Seventh Schedule), allowing both the Parliament and state legislatures to enact laws. This Bill, being a central legislation, will provide a uniform framework while respecting the federal structure. While Article 21A guarantees the Right to Education for children aged 6-14, and Article 45 outlines the Directive Principle for early childhood care and education, this Bill primarily targets higher education, aiming to fulfill the broader constitutional aspiration of providing quality education for all. The existing UGC Act 1956 and AICTE Act 1987 would likely be repealed or significantly amended to accommodate the new single regulatory body.

Looking ahead, the successful implementation of the 'Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill' will depend on several factors: the clarity of the new body's mandate, its autonomy from political interference, the seamless transition of functions from existing bodies, and its ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders. While it promises to unlock the potential of India's higher education system by fostering innovation, improving quality, and enhancing global competitiveness, challenges related to institutional capacity building, resistance from entrenched interests, and ensuring equitable access across different regions will need careful navigation. This Bill represents a bold step towards creating a future-ready, robust, and world-class higher education system, crucial for India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.