Education Ministry Drafting Bill To Create Single Higher Education Body: MoS To Lok Sabha
The Education Ministry is drafting a bill to set up the Higher Education Commission of India as a single regulator, replacing UGC, AICTE, and NCTE under NEP 2020.
The Ministry of Education is currently working on a new bill to set up the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), which is being planned as a single regulator for higher education in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, shared this information in a written reply to a question raised in the House.
'The National Education Policy 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 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 proposed HECI, as outlined in the NEP, aims to replace three existing regulatory bodies – the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
Currently, the UGC is responsible for regulating non-technical higher education, the AICTE looks after technical education, and the NCTE oversees teacher education programmes.
The idea of setting up HECI has been discussed earlier as well. In 2018, a draft bill named the Higher Education Commission of India Bill was introduced. It proposed scrapping the UGC Act and establishing the HECI, and was released publicly for suggestions and feedback from stakeholders.
Efforts to implement HECI gained momentum once again under the leadership of Dharmendra Pradhan, who became the Union Education Minister in July 2021.
Highlighting the importance of a single higher education regulator, the NEP 2020 document states, 'the regulatory system is in need of a complete overhaul in order to re-energise the higher education sector and enable it to thrive."
view comments
First Published:
July 21, 2025, 18:17 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
5 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Not prepared for fourth year': DU's push for 12-hour shifts at colleges sparks criticism
Amid the rollout of the fourth year undergraduate programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 from this academic session at Delhi University, the varsity's push for 12-hour shifts has drawn criticism from teachers and students. Expressing myriad concerns, faculty unions are demanding the university withdraw the advisory and hold wider consultations as the classes for the new session begin Monday. In a notification dated July 31 notification, the university asked colleges to extend their hours and operate from 8 am to 8 pm to 'ensure availability of faculty and staff during the period,' suggesting a staggered deployment to accommodate additional academic requirements. However, faculty representatives argue that this blanket approach ignores the realities on the ground. 'The order clearly shows that we are ill-prepared for the fourth year,' said Abha Dev Habib, Secretary of the Democratic Teachers' Front and Associate Professor at Miranda House. She added, 'Teaching distribution and timetables must be planned in advance during the vacation itself if classes are to begin smoothly. Pushing this on August 1, with classes beginning August 4, leaves teachers scrambling. It also means that first-year teaching is now pushed toward guest faculty, which is no way to welcome students to a university.' Safety is emerging as the biggest worry. Many DU campuses are located in areas where traveling at odd hours feels unsafe to students and staff. 'This latest DU notification is extremely problematic. It is extremely dangerous from the safety perspective of students and teachers in many areas of Delhi,' said Dr Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of DU's Executive Council. 'Making students sit from 8 am to 8 pm is neither feasible nor practical. It just shows that DU is not prepared for the fourth year of NEP — neither on infrastructure nor manpower.' Rudrashish Chakraborty, Associate Professor of English at Kirori Mal College and Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) Executive member, called the measure 'anti-teacher and anti-student.' 'It forces colleges to adopt a draconian system. The notification expressly instructs colleges to prepare a staggered timetable of a minimum five hours per day for every teacher, even if there is no space for teachers to sit and work,' he said. Chakraborty also flagged the potential impact on evening colleges, which traditionally cater to students who work during the day. 'It is not clear how this will impact evening colleges. Are they going to schedule their classes from 8 pm to 8 am? Or are they going to be dismantled altogether as institutions?' Faculty members also warned of an emerging hierarchy under the new system. 'The university has said that only senior faculty should teach and supervise the fourth-year students. This is a vicious attempt to create a division between so-called senior and junior colleagues, which will undermine collegiality and disrupt teaching culture,' Chakraborty added. 'We cannot implement structural reforms like this through last-minute orders without preparation, safety measures, or teacher training,' said Habib. Although the strength of students was not as high on Friday when colleges held orientations, better attendance is expected on Monday, officials said.
New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Kerala govt, Governor set to begin talks for consensus on VC appointments
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Supreme Court directing both the state government and the chancellor (Governor) to kick-start the process to appoint permanent vice-chancellors (VCs) in universities at the earliest, both sides are set to begin discussions to arrive at a consensus on the matter. Higher Education Minister R Bindu and Law Minister P Rajeeve are scheduled to meet Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Sunday at the directions of CM Pinarayi Vijayan. 'The government will try its best to resolve the deadlock,' Bindu told TNIE. As per highly placed sources, the constitution of search committees for selection of permanent VCs in a few universities will be taken up as a preliminary step. Of the 14 state universities, the Acts of seven varsities lay down that the chancellor shall constitute the search committee. However, the Acts of seven other universities are silent on who is the authority to constitute the panel. 'The second category mostly includes varsities that are newly established or under departments such as agriculture, fisheries, veterinary and health,' said a top source. 'The chancellor will allow the government to form search panel in such varsities to start the process. However, the Raj Bhavan will insist that the search committee be constituted as per UGC regulations,' the source added. As per the UGC regulations, the three-member panel will have nominees of the UGC chairman, the chancellor and the university syndicate. 'If the government agrees to this proposal, it would be an admission that the University Amendment Bill, that aims to alter the composition of search committees in its favour, is now a closed chapter. But there is no other choice as the President has withheld assent to the Bill,' said a government source. The preliminary steps by both parties will serve as a chance for either sides to demonstrate their intent in appointing permanent VCs through consensus. Universities where chancellor is authority to constitute search panel Kerala University MG University Calicut University Kannur University CUSAT Sanskrit University Digital University Universities where Act is silent on who should constitute search panel Kerala Agricultural University Malayalam University APJ Abdul Kalam Tech University Kerala University of Health Sciences Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University Fisheries University Sreenarayana Guru Open University
Hans India
14 hours ago
- Hans India
How India's institutions are failing the marginalized people
India's history is replete with examples of systematic exclusion and discriminatory governance, particularly under colonial rule. The British administration followed a clear policy of divide and rule that deepened social fissures, marginalised communities, and denied equitable access to resources and opportunities. When India attained independence, the founding fathers of our Constitution envisioned a society rooted in justice, equality, and dignity for all. As a result, affirmative action, commonly known as reservation, was introduced to correct the historical wrongs inflicted upon communities such as the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). However, more than seven decades later, the commitment to this constitutional mandate often appears hollow. Recent data presented in the Rajya Sabha on July 23, 2025, by Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar lays bare a disheartening reality. In response to a question by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, it was revealed that a significant proportion of teaching posts reserved for marginalized communities in central universities remain vacant. This is not just an administrative lapse, but a betrayal of the values enshrined in our Constitution. According to the figures shared, a staggering 80 per cent of the professor-level posts reserved for OBCs remain unfilled. Of the 423 sanctioned posts under this category, only 84 have been filled. The situation is even grimmer for the ST category, where nearly 83 per cent of professor posts are lying vacant, only 24 of 144 sanctioned positions have been filled. Likewise, 64 per cent of positions sanctioned for the SC category remain unoccupied, with only 111 out of 308 filled. This data is not just numbers; it reflects a systemic failure that continues to perpetuate marginalization within spaces of higher education, spaces that should ideally be at the forefront of promoting equity and inclusion. These glaring vacancies indicate either a lack of will or deeply entrenched biases in our institutions that are hindering the effective implementation of reservation policies. It is no secret that caste-based discrimination, both overt and covert, still persists in many corners of our society. When such biases find place within the corridors of power and policy-making, they directly obstruct the socio-economic mobility of communities that have already endured centuries of oppression. The excuses often provided for such lapses, like the non-availability of suitable candidates, must be scrutinized critically. Are adequate efforts being made to create and nurture talent from these communities? Are institutions proactively reaching out to fill these posts through fair and inclusive recruitment processes? Or is the system simply indifferent? The failure to fill these sanctioned posts not only denies rightful opportunity to the deprived but also weakens the very fabric of our democracy. In a nation as culturally rich and socially diverse as India, the true measure of progress must go beyond GDP growth, stock market milestones, or international accolades. Real advancement lies in how we treat our most vulnerable and marginalized citizens. Today, as we envision the grand ambition of building a Viksit Bharat by 2047, coinciding with the centenary of our independence, we must ask ourselves some hard questions. Are we truly inclusive in our approach to development? Are our policies and public investments reaching those who need them the most? Or is there, perhaps, a deeper malaise, a deliberate design or systemic bias, that continues to sideline the deprived communities from claiming their rightful share of national resources, opportunities, and institutional support, proportionate to their population? The time for symbolic assurances and policy jargon is long gone. What we need now is a transparent, data-backed, and morally driven commitment from the government and all institutions of democracy to correct historical injustices. The urgency is moral and strategic too. A nation cannot prosper in the long term if significant sections of its population remain excluded and voiceless. If the principle of 'deprive, divide, and rule' is allowed to take root and become surreptitiously institutionalized within our political, social, or economic systems, the consequences will be deeply destructive and far-reaching. This nefarious design – historically used to create rifts among communities, classes, and regions – has no place in a modern, democratic, and inclusive India. Institutionalizing deprivation means deliberately denying basic rights, opportunities, and resources to a section of the population, thereby reinforcing systemic inequality. Coupled with the tactic of division, whether along lines of caste, religion, language, or economic status, it will fracture the very soul of our nation. In such a scenario, the privileged few would continue to enjoy comfort and luxury, while the marginalized masses remain trapped in cycles of poverty, exclusion, and powerlessness. It is, therefore, imperative that we do not make the grave mistake of perpetuating such a model, which only serves the interests of the select elite at the cost of national unity and human dignity. The people of modern India, more aware, more connected, and more assertive than ever before, will not tolerate such injustices. Our shared moral compass and the foundational principles of our democracy compel us to build a society rooted in justice, equality, and unity. It is our collective duty to uphold a system of governance that is transparent, fair, and inclusive—one that prioritizes compassion over coercion and empowerment over manipulation. True democracy flourishes only when every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. Any attempt to undermine these ideals, be it through authoritarianism, discrimination, or exclusion, must be firmly and resolutely opposed. Our resolute commitment to these values must not be a choice but a necessity for a just and harmonious future.
