Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill 2025 Tabled in Lok Sabha, Sent to Parliamentary Committee

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill 2025 was tabled in Lok Sabha to overhaul higher education regulation. Bill has been sent to a parliamentary committee.

Union government today tabled the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan (VBSA) Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha, proposing a sweeping restructuring of India’s higher education regulatory framework. Introduced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Bill has been referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for detailed scrutiny and stakeholder consultations.

Proposed legislation seeks to replace multiple statutory regulators with a single apex body, marking one of most important governance reforms in higher education sector in recent years.

What VBSA Bill Proposes

Bill aims to repeal three existing laws governing higher education:

• University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Act, 1987
• National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993

In their place, the Bill proposes establishment of Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan (VBSA), supported by three distinct councils:

Manak Parishad (Standards Council): To set academic standards, learning outcomes, credit norms, and teacher qualification requirements

Gunvatta Parishad (Accreditation Council): To oversee institutional accreditation through authorised agencies and performance reviews

Viniyaman Parishad (Regulatory Council): To ensure regulatory compliance, graded autonomy, mandatory disclosures, and norms for foreign universities operating in India.

Central govt has said this framework is aligned with objectives of National Education Policy with a focus on outcome-based regulation and simplified oversight.

Funding Shift Under Proposed Framework

A key change under the Bill is the separation of regulation and funding. Unlike the current UGC-led system, none of the proposed councils will have funding powers. Instead, grant disbursement to higher education institutions will be handled directly by the Ministry of Education, a move that represents a structural shift in how public-funded institutions are financed.

Concerns Raised by Academic Bodies

Teacher associations and student groups have raised concerns over the Bill, particularly regarding:

• Centralisation of regulatory authority
• Reduced representation of teachers and states in the proposed commission
• Possible impact on institutional autonomy and federal principles
• Fears that uniform standards could disproportionately affect public-funded and state-run institutions, especially in rural areas

Several academic groups have urged wider consultations before the Bill is taken up for final passage.

With the Bill now referred to a Parliamentary Committee, its provisions will undergo detailed examination, including inputs from educationists, universities, and state governments. The panel’s report will guide further debate before the legislation is brought back to Parliament for consideration and passage.

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill 2025 was tabled in the Lok Sabha to overhaul higher education regulation. The Bill has been sent to a parliamentary committee.