Govt drafts bill to replace UGC, AICTE, and NCTE with unified Higher Education Commission of India
Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar shared the information in a written reply to a question.
"The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions a 'light but tight' regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency and resource efficiency of the educational system through audit and public disclosure while encouraging innovation and out-of-the-box ideas through autonomy, good governance and empowerment," Majumdar said.
"The NEP 2020 further envisions setting up of a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as an umbrella body with independent verticals to perform distinct functions of regulation, accreditation, funding and academic standard setting.
Considering the above vision of NEP 2020, the ministry is in the process of drafting a HECI bill," he added.
The HECI, which was proposed in the new NEP, looks to replace the
University Grants Commission
(UGC), the
All India Council for Technical Education
(AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Redefine Your Future with a Top Online MBA
SRM Online
Enquire Now
Undo
While the UGC oversees non-technical higher education, the AICTE oversees technical education and the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education.
The concept of the HECI has been discussed before in the form of a draft bill.
A draft Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill, 2018, which seeks to repeal the UGC Act and provides for setting up of the Higher Education Commission of India, was put in the public domain that year for feedback and consultation with stakeholders.
Renewed efforts to make the HECI a reality were then initiated under Dharmendra Pradhan, who took over as Union education minister in July 2021.
Underlining the relevance of a single higher education regulator, the NEP 2020 document says, "the regulatory system is in need of a complete overhaul in order to re-energise the higher education sector and enable it to thrive".
Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
20 minutes ago
- Hans India
Five TN fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy
Five Tamil fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters near Neduntheevu (Katchatheevu) in the early hours of Tuesday. According to sources in the local fishermen's association, the fishermen had ventured into the sea on Monday night in a mechanised boat and were fishing near Katchatheevu when they were intercepted by a Sri Lankan Naval patrol. The Sri Lankan Navy personnel took the five men into custody and seized their boat. The arrested fishermen are likely to be taken to Kankesanthurai or Talaimannar, where they will be handed over to local authorities for further legal procedures. This is the latest in a series of such incidents involving Tamil Nadu fishermen being apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. In mid-July, seven fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested under similar circumstances, and their boat was also confiscated. They were later remanded to judicial custody in Vavuniya. Earlier this year, in February, 32 fishermen were detained in a single operation, and five boats were seized. The repeated arrests have sparked concern among the fishing community in Rameswaram, who say their livelihoods are being disrupted. 'The sea is our only means of survival. Every time someone is arrested, it creates fear among others,' said a representative of the fishermen's union. Fishermen's associations have repeatedly urged both the Indian and Tamil Nadu governments to take up the issue with Sri Lanka and ensure a long-term solution. They have also called for the retrieval of confiscated boats, which represent a significant financial loss for the families involved. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has in the past written to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, seeking strong diplomatic intervention to secure the release of arrested fishermen and prevent such incidents in the future. With tensions persisting in the Palk Strait, the issue continues to pose a major challenge to the safety and livelihood of Tamil Nadu's coastal communities.
NDTV
20 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Bharat Ki Baat...": After Shashi Tharoor, Another MP's Message To Congress
New Delhi: As the Congress tries to corner the Narendra Modi government during the ongoing Operation Sindoor debate, its internal strains are making headlines and putting the main Opposition on a sticky wicket. Amid the buzz over why senior party leader Shashi Tharoor was not speaking in the debate, another MP's social media post has left the Congress red-faced and given fresh ammo to the BJP. Former Union Minister and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari today shared a screenshot of a news report on why he and Mr Tharoor were benched for a debate. The post on X was captioned with the evergreen patriotic song from Purab Aur Pachhim (1970): "Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada, main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon, Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon. Jai Hind," the Congress MP wrote. Both Mr Tewari and Mr Tharoor, who are not on the Congress list of speakers for the Parliament debate, were part of the Indian delegations that travelled abroad as part of New Delhi's global outreach after Operation Sindoor. Amar Singh, the Fatehgarh Sahib MP who was part of a delegation, is also not on the list. Veteran Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Salman Khurshid were part of the delegations, but they are not sitting MPs. As the Operation Sindoor debate began yesterday, the Congress list of speakers raised tall questions. The name of Mr Tharoor, a former diplomat and a phenomenal public speaker, was not on the list. When the media asked him about this outside the Parliament, he replied with a smile, "maunvrat" -- meaning a "vow of silence". Sources have told NDTV that Mr Tharoor had refused to toe the party line during the debate and said he would not contradict himself "for the sake of party messaging". This follows months of unease between Mr Tharoor and the Congress leadership over his public comments in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's counterstrike Operation Sindoor. Mr Tharoor recently said his "first loyalty" lies with the nation. "Parties are a means of making the nation better. So to my mind, whichever party you belong to, the objective of that party is to create a better India in its own way." The BJP, meanwhile, sensed a political opportunity in the conspicuous omission of key leaders from the Congress list of speakers. Senior BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda took a dig at the Congress, saying the party is not allowing Mr Tharoor to speak. "There are several leaders in your (Congress) party who can speak well... My friend Shashi Tharoor Ji, who is a good speaker, is not allowed to speak by his party," he said.
NDTV
20 minutes ago
- NDTV
Parliament Monsoon Session Day 7 Live Updates: Union Home Minister Amit Shah To Address Lok Sabha On Op Sindoor
5 minutes ago Parliament Monsoon Session Day 7 Live Updates: A special discussion on Operation Sindoor will continue in the Lok Sabha today with Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to address the House at 12 noon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to make a concluding speech at 5pm today. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will open 16-hour long special discussion on the Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha today. Parliament Monsoon Session 2025 Day 7 Live Updates: INDIA Bloc To Protest Over Special Intensive Revision In Bihar At Parliament Gate Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc are set to stage a protest at the Makar Dwar of Parliament on Tuesday at 10:30 AM, ahead of the day's proceedings. The opposition is continuously raising questions over transparency and the verification process in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Earlier on Monday, both houses of parliament were adjourned several times amid sloganeering by Opposition members demanding a discussion on the ongoing SIR in poll-bound Bihar, as well as other issues of public importance. Jul 29, 2025 10:05 (IST) Share Manish Tewari's Cryptic Post After Congress Drops Him From Op Sindoor Debate In Parliament As the Congress tries to corner the Narendra Modi government during the ongoing Operation Sindoor debate, its internal strains are making headlines and putting the main Opposition on a sticky wicket. Amid the buzz over why senior party leader Shashi Tharoor was not speaking in the debate, another MP's social media post has left the Congress red-faced and given fresh ammo to the BJP. Former Union Minister and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari today shared a screenshot of a news report on why he and Mr Tharoor were benched for a debate. The post on X was captioned with the evergreen patriotic song from Purab Aur Pachhim (1970): "Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada, main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon, Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon. Jai Hind," the Congress MP wrote. Both Mr Tewari and Mr Tharoor, who are not on the Congress list of speakers for the Parliament debate, were part of the Indian delegations that travelled abroad as part of New Delhi's global outreach after Operation Sindoor. Jul 29, 2025 09:32 (IST) 3 Reasons Why Bihar Roll Revision Can't Be Discussed In Parliament: Sources There will be no discussion on Bihar voter list revision in Parliament despite the Opposition's demand, the government has indicated, underscoring a reason cited by former Speaker Balaram Jakhar, sources have said. About this, three arguments are being considered by the government, sources said. The first is that the campaign being run by the Central Election Commission is not an election reform. Rather, it is an administrative step and the Election Commission has been taking such steps from time to time. The second reason is that even if a discussion is held in both houses of Parliament on the intensive revision of the voter list, there is no one to answer the questions that the Opposition could raise. The Election Commission cannot come to the House to present its side, sources pointed out. And although the Law Ministry is the nodal ministry for the Election Commission, it generally looks after only administrative work, and does not interfere in policy matters. The third reason the government gave is that there are many such institutions which do not have a mechanism to present their side before the Parliament. In such situations, there cannot be a discussion about those institutions, sources said. Congress' Manickam Tagore Calls For Discussion On Forced Displacement Of Tamil-Speaking People Congress Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore submits adjournment notice on the alleged forced eviction and displacement of Tamil speaking people in Govindpuri and other parts of Delhi.
