New Delhi: The higher education regulators have backed the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, describing it as a major reform aimed at addressing structural challenges in the country’s existing regulatory system.
Representatives of the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education conveyed their views during interactions with a Joint Committee of Parliament on 12 March, stating that the proposed legislation strengthens and expands their current functions.
The Bill was referred to a parliamentary panel earlier this year after the government recommended that it be examined by a Joint Committee of Parliament. The panel, chaired by Daggubati Purandeshwari, held its second and third sittings, engaging with representatives from several regulatory bodies, including the National Council for Teacher Education and the Council of Architecture.
During the discussions, the NCTE proposed that specific provisions be included in the draft legislation enabling higher education institutions to appeal decisions taken by the Regulatory, Standards, or Accreditation Councils under the proposed framework.
Meanwhile, the Council of Architecture described the Bill as a positive step and suggested that its representative be included in the umbrella VBSA Commission as well as the Regulatory Council.
The architecture body also recommended amendments to the Architects Act, 1972 and the Minimum Standards of Architectural Education Regulation, 2025, arguing that such changes would ensure better alignment between the new Bill and the existing legal framework governing architectural education.
According to reports with the discussions, the UGC informed the panel that the current higher education regulatory landscape in India is fragmented and involves multiple approval windows, which affects credit transfers, mutual recognition of qualifications, and the promotion of interdisciplinary education.
The proposed legislation, it said, could streamline regulation, reduce compliance burdens for institutions, and remove potential conflicts of interest.
Officials further reportedly indicated that the Bill could help advance the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020, including raising the country’s Gross Enrolment Ratio to 50 per cent by 2035 and strengthening India’s position as a global knowledge hub.
The committee meetings were attended by officials from the Education and Law Ministries as part of the ongoing review process.
