Parliamentary Panel Warns Higher Education Bill May Centralise Regulator, Harm Autonomy

A joint committee of Parliament has expressed concern that the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, if passed, could concentrate extensive regulatory powers in a single central authority, potentially undermining the autonomy of higher education institutions.

According to the draft report of the committee circulated to its members, the proposed Bill would dissolve existing bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), replacing them with a unified regulatory commission. The government has listed the Bill for consideration and passage after the report is adopted.

The committee noted that ‘concentration of extensive regulatory powers in a single central regulator could lead to bureaucratic or ideological overreach, thereby affecting the institutional autonomy presently available under the existing UGC framework.’

Regarding penalties, the Bill proposes a graded penalty architecture, but the committee flagged that penalties cannot be imposed arbitrarily by the Regulatory Council. It stated that penalties must be linked to proven violations of norms, with the aim of deterring institutions that habitually and repeatedly violate regulations. The committee also observed that the Bill removes the ‘corporate veil’ often used by promoters of fraudulent institutions, and that repeat contraventions could lead to removal of specific personnel responsible for the violation, shifting compliance burden onto individual leaders and trustees.

The committee accepted that the presidents and full-time members of the council be appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a search-cum-selection committee. However, for other members of the commission and councils (excluding ex-officio members and member-secretary), the committee suggested that they be appointed by the Central government rather than by the President, citing delays in appointments in many central institutions under the current process.

The Bill aims to implement the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 by dividing higher education oversight into three specialised councils for regulation, accreditation, and standards.