Regulating higher education

The focus must be on improving outcomes

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The Union government this week introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, in Parliament. The Bill envisages replacing the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) with a single apex institution called the "Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan". The new body will function through three distinct but interlinked verticals: A regulatory council, an accreditation council, and a standards council. Significantly, it brings institutions of national importance such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMS), National Institutes of Technology (NITS), and Indian Institute of Science (IISC), which have functioned under separate parliamentary statutes, within a routine regulatory frame of oversight. However, it does not cover institutions under the Pharmacy Council of India, Bar Council of India, Veterinary Council of India, and National Medical Commission.