Higher education Bill: Evolve a viable roadmap

THE Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission, has been sent to a joint parliamentary committee. The panel will hold discussions on the legislation and submit its report in February. The Bill proposes separate councils for regulation, accreditation and academic standards in a bid to do away with the “multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols”. As of now, the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulates non-technical higher education institutions, while the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) are overseeing their respective domains. The Acts under which these three agencies were set up are proposed to be repealed. The government aims to overhaul the regulatory system in order to “re-energise” the higher education sector. However, will the replacement of the UGC, AICTE and NCTE — which have functioned for decades — with new councils serve the purpose? These councils will come under an umbrella institution, the higher education commission; thus, it would be challenging for them to work as autonomous bodies.

Underfunding has plagued higher education institutions in India. However, the Bill gives no funding powers to the new commission. It makes the Ministry of Education responsible for disbursing grants. Some educationists fear that this provision will make the process of grant allocation more bureaucratic and politically motivated.

Global experience shows that world-class universities thrive on academic freedom, sustained public funding and institutional self-governance — not merely regulatory efficiency. Well-thought-out reforms are the way forward for India in higher education. Various stakeholders must be involved in detailed deliberations on the new Bill so that a viable roadmap can be evolved.