Merger of education regulators will happen this year: AICTE

The HECI will be a single overarching umbrella body for higher education, as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe on March 18, 2021, stated that key structural reforms in the education sector, especially the merger of regulators leading to the creation of the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), will happen this year. The HECI will be a single overarching umbrella body for higher education, as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Mr Sahasrabudhe further added, “All regulatory bodies including the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), University Grants Commission (UGC) and National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) will be merged to form the HECI. This will come into effect this year."

Speaking at the one-day national conference on "Salient features of approval process of handbook (2021-2022) for resetting technical education and implementing NEP", he said the NEP had several features benefiting students, faculty and institutions. "It creates a window of opportunities.For instance, top 100 institutions in the national ranking can tie-up with foreign institutions figuring in the top 500 in global ranking for academic and research collaboration and twinning," he said.

While talking to the media, Sahasrabudhe expressed, “Aiming to provide more flexibility in admissions, the policy permits students from other streams to join engineering colleges but mandates them to take a course in Physics, Maths or subjects they have not studied in higher secondary. They have to complete these bridge courses in order to complete the engineering degrees,"

Asked about the fate of the students who failed to cope with Maths, Physics or Chemistry, he replied, "Those who come with commerce background could excel in entrepreneurship." "Those who seek admission come with passion and skills. They will cope but if they fail, they have to pursue some other course."

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