New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan defended the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025.
Addressing concerns over provisions that make the proposed higher education commission subject to government policy directions, Pradhan said such arrangements are consistent with existing laws, where sovereign authority has always rested with the government.
Speaking at a press conference a day after introducing the Bill in the Lok Sabha, the Minister clarified that similar provisions existed under earlier frameworks, including the University Grants Commission. He added that the Bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed scrutiny.
The Lok Sabha has approved a resolution to send the legislation to the committee, which will include 21 members from the lower house and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The panel is expected to submit its report by the end of the first phase of the Budget Session in 2026.
The proposed legislation seeks to replace the UGC, AICTE and NCTE with a single regulatory body and bring Institutes of National Importance under formal oversight for the first time. Pradhan assured that institutions such as IITs and IIMs would retain their academic autonomy, while sharing data to improve quality benchmarks. He also said professional bodies like the Council of Architecture would retain standard-setting and licensing roles under the new framework.
