Why in the News?

• The Union Government has proposed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, aimed at overhauling India’s higher education regulatory system by replacing the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE with a new umbrella commission.
• This Bill was listed in the Winter Session of Parliament.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• VBSA Bill (Need, Objectives, Structure of VBSA Commission, Institutions Covered, Changes Proposed, Criticism, Penalties, Implications, etc.)

Reform of India’s Higher Education Regulatory Framework

• India’s higher education sector has long operated with multiple regulatory bodies, often resulting in overlapping mandates, fragmented standards, and inconsistent approval mechanisms.
• To address these structural challenges and align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 vision, the government has introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025.
• The Bill aims to improve academic quality, streamline regulation, and modernise governance in universities and higher educational institutions across India.
• It marks one of the most significant policy interventions in the higher education domain in recent years.

Core Objectives of the VBSA Bill

• The Bill states that its primary purpose is to enable and empower universities to achieve excellence in teaching, learning, research, and innovation. This is to be achieved through:

• Better coordination between regulatory bodies
• Clear determination of academic and institutional standards
• A unified governance mechanism for higher education

• The Statement of Objects and Reasons emphasises the NEP 2020 principle of a “light but tight” regulatory structure, ensuring reduced bureaucratic complexity while maintaining strong accountability.

Structure of the VBSA Commission

• At the centre of the proposed reforms is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA), a 12-member umbrella commission that functions as the apex authority. It will oversee three specialised councils:

• Viksit Bharat Viniyaman Parishad (Regulatory Council)
• Responsible for maintaining regulatory standards
• Coordinates governance norms in universities and colleges
• Viksit Bharat Gunvatta Parishad (Accreditation Council)
• Supervises accreditation processes
• Builds an independent ecosystem for institutional and program accreditation
• Viksit Bharat Manak Parishad (Standards Council)
• Establishes academic standards
• Ensures harmonisation of policies and quality benchmarks

• Each council can have up to 14 members. The VBSA will include members from the Education Ministry, State higher education institutions, and eminent experts.

Institutions Covered Under the Bill

• The proposed law applies to:

• All Central and State universities
• Colleges and Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs)
• Institutions of national importance
• Institutions of eminence
• Technical and teacher education institutions

• However, professional programmes such as Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Law, Pharmacology, and Veterinary Sciences are exempted and will continue under their respective regulators.
• The Council of Architecture will remain the professional standards-setting body for architecture but will not have regulatory powers.

Key Changes Proposed Under the Bill

• Replacing Existing Bodies
  • The VBSA Bill seeks to subsume the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE, integrating their regulatory, accreditation, and standardisation functions under one framework.
• Separation of Funding from Regulation
  • A major shift is the removal of grant-disbursal powers from the UGC. Funding functions will now be performed through mechanisms devised by the Ministry of Education.
  • This separation aligns with NEP-2020’s recommendation to delink academic regulation from financial control.
• Enabling Foreign Universities and Global Outreach
  • The Regulatory Council will:

• Set standards for foreign universities to operate in India
• Facilitate high-performing Indian universities to set up offshore campuses
• Prevent the commercialisation of higher education

• Strengthening Accreditation
  • The Accreditation Council must develop an outcome-based framework, encouraging institutions to improve learning outputs rather than merely compliance inputs.

Criticism and Concerns

• Earlier attempts to reform the higher education framework, such as the 2018 Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, faced strong criticism for placing excessive central control and weakening the role of States. Similar concerns have resurfaced.
• Key criticisms include:

• The possibility of the Centre having disproportionate influence in appointments
• Removal of grant-disbursal powers from an autonomous body
• Risk of over-centralisation in standard-setting functions

• However, unlike the HECI Bill, the VBSA Bill includes State representation in all three councils, partly addressing federal concerns.

Graded Penalties and Enforcement Mechanisms

• The VBSA will have significant punitive powers, including:

• Fines beginning at Rs. 10 lakh and going up to Rs. 75 lakh
• Possible closure of institutions for repeated non-compliance
• Power to suspend an institution’s authority to grant degrees or diplomas
• Institutions operating without accreditation may face fines of Rs. 2 crore or more

• These provisions aim to improve accountability and discourage substandard educational practices.

Implications for India’s Higher Education System

• If implemented, the VBSA Bill could:

• Streamline regulatory processes
• Ensure uniform academic standards nationwide
• Enhance India’s global competitiveness in higher education
• Promote transparency in accreditation and governance
• Reduce fragmentation among regulators

• However, concerns about autonomy, funding clarity, and centralisation will require careful implementation and stakeholder dialogue.