Education Ministry in process of drafting bill for unified higher education body: MoS to Lok Sabha
In a written reply, Majumdar said the initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for a 'light but tight' regulatory structure. The framework aims to ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability while promoting institutional autonomy, innovation, and good governance.
As envisioned in the NEP 2020, the HECI will serve as an umbrella body with distinct verticals for regulation, accreditation, funding, and academic standards. The proposed commission is intended to replace existing regulators like the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
Currently, the UGC oversees non-technical education, AICTE handles technical institutions, and NCTE regulates teacher education. The idea of consolidating these functions under a single regulator was first floated in a 2018 draft bill aimed at repealing the UGC Act, which was then opened for public consultation.
Efforts to implement the HECI gained renewed momentum under Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who assumed office in July 2021.
The NEP 2020 emphasises that the existing regulatory framework needs a complete overhaul to revitalize India's higher education system and help it meet contemporary challenges and global standards.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Only 52% of PM-SHRI Schools in Maharashtra have playgrounds according to Lok Sabha Answer
Only 450 out of 860 (52%) of PM-SHRI Schools in Maharashtra have playgrounds according to data shared by Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in the Lok Sabha. The data was provided on Monday in a written answer to an unstarred question by seven opposition MPs from Maharashtra. PM-SHRI is a Union Government scheme wherein schools are developed to provide the quality education and ensure holistic development of all the students. These schools have Best in class modern facilities. This number excludes PM-SHRI Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samitis. MPs Supriya Sule, Nilesh Lanke, Varsha Gaikwad, Bhaskar Bhagare, Bajrang Sonwane, Sanjay Patil, and Dhairyaheel Mohite Patil asked Minister to provide, among other information, the number of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and PM-SHRI Schools currently operational in the state of Maharashtra. Details about student enrolment, infrastructure availability, and faculty strength in these schools, and district-wise information was also sought. The reply stated that 3,05,210 students were enrolled in the 860 PM-SHRI Schools in the state, and the total faculty strength was 9,141. 450 of these schools have a playground, which was the only information provided under infrastructure. Nashik district had the highest number of PM-SHRI Schools at 47 followed by Yavatmal at 42, Nanded and Solapur at 39, and Pune at 38. Mumbai Suburban had the lowest number of PM-SHRI Schools (2) while Dhule district had 10 such schools. In a statement shared with The Indian Express, Mumbai North Central MP Professor Varsha Gaikwad said, 'Maharashtra had the concept of Adarsh Shala even before PM-SHRI Schools and we had identified 488 schools under the same with all basic facilities. In the NEP, they copied this concept and renamed it PM-SHRI and cut funding for our Adarsh Shalas. Playgrounds were a mandatory condition under our Adarsh Shalas, but it is really concerning that only 52% of the schools selected under the PM-SHRI Schools have playgrounds. On what basis have these schools been named PM-SHRI Schools?' Gaikwad added that the focus under the PM-SHRI Schools seemed to be more about building contractor friendly infrastructure rather than schools that provide holistic education for children. The Indian Express spoke to Srikant Giri, Principal of PM-SHRI Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) School 53 B English, and Sangeeta Band, Principal of PM-SHRI PMC School 151 B, both of whom confirmed that their schools had a playground. Giri informed that his school was the first corporation school to be certified under PM-SHRI. Smart TVs, educational drawings on walls, sports equipment, and other facilities have been installed at the schools through the scheme funds. It is important to note that the data shared in Lok Sabha does not match with the data on the PM-SHRI website dashboard. According to the Lok Sabha reply, out of the 38 schools in Pune district, only 24 have a playground. However, according to the dashboard, all 38 schools in Pune have a playground. Similarly for the Ratnagiri district, the Lok Sabha reply stated that only 3 out of the 16 PM-SHRI schools have a playground, but according to the dashboard 12 schools have a playground. Such discrepancies were seen in other districts as well. The reply also stated that the state has 60 Kendriya Vidyalayas with 76,790 students enrolled and having a faculty strength of 2,723. Pune district had the highest number of KVs at 16 while districts like Yavatmal, Washim, Solapur, Latur, Dhule, Aurangabad, Bhandara, and Parbhani had only 1 KV. Out of the 60 KVs, 52 have been designated as PM-SHRI schools. The document also says, 'all KVs in the State of Maharashtra have sufficient infrastructure, basic amenities and ICT infrastructure, including smart classrooms, computer labs and internet connectivity, achieving 100% ICT saturation.' PM-SHRI Schools – 860 With Playground – 450 Students Enrolled – 3,05,210 Faculty Strength – 9,141 Kendriya Vidyalayas – 60 PM-SHRI KVs – 52 Students Enrolled – 76,790 Faculty Strength – 2,723 Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
News18
4 hours ago
- News18
Delhi Govt To Distribute Free Laptops To 1200 Meritorious Students, Establish ICT Labs
Last Updated: Under the Mukhya Mantri Digital Education Scheme, students from Delhi government schools who achieved high marks in Class 10 will receive i7 laptops. The Delhi government announced on Tuesday that it will provide free i7 laptops to 1,200 top-performing students who excelled in their Class 10 exams, PTI reported. Additionally, 175 government-run schools will have ICT labs established, according to Education Minister Ashish Sood. During a press conference, Sood highlighted that these 'historic" decisions were made at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Under the Mukhya Mantri Digital Education Scheme, students from Delhi government schools who achieved high marks in Class 10 will receive i7 laptops. This initiative aims to support their future digital education needs in line with the National Education Policy, as per the minister. The scheme is expected to cost Rs 8 crore, he added. Sood criticised the previous AAP government's claims of an 'education revolution," pointing out that none of the 1,074 government schools had functional computer labs. He stated that the Cabinet, led by the chief minister, decided to establish Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs in 175 schools during the current session, the PTI report added. Each ICT lab, designed to meet Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) standards, will be equipped with 40 computers, Sood explained. The education minister also mentioned that the Delhi government recently signed an MoU with a private organisation to set up 100 ICT labs in 100 government schools as part of a corporate social responsibility scheme. Sood further alleged that the previous AAP government did not establish a single computer lab in schools and failed to maintain those built under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. Computer labs were constructed in 907 government schools between 2015 and 2019 during AAP rule, funded by the Centre under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. However, all these labs remained non-functional, Sood claimed. Additionally, the minister announced that an orientation programme for nursery to Class I students and their parents will be held at all Sarvodaya Vidyalayas under the Delhi government on Wednesday. view comments First Published: 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.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Govt drafts bill to replace UGC, AICTE, and NCTE with unified Higher Education Commission of India
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Education is in the process of drafting a bill for establishing a higher education commission of India (HECI), proposed as a unified higher education regulatory body, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. 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!
