India Introduces Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill 2025 to Overhaul Higher Education Regulatory System

New Delhi: The Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Monday ( December 15) introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha, which aims at overhauling India’s higher education regulatory system by replacing the UGC( University Grants Commission), AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education), and NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education) with a new umbrella commission. The VBSA bill also aims at streamlining regulations, reducing overlapping oversight by multiple authorities, and give institutions greater academic freedom. While Opposition members raised objections to the bill at the introduction stage and accused the Union government of overcentralising education through the proposed legislation, the bill was ultimately sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. The bill matters as India’s higher education sector has long operated with multiple regulatory bodies, which often led to overlapping mandates, fragmented standards, and inconsistent approval mechanisms. The government, in a bid to address these structural challenges and align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 vision, has introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025. The Apex Umbrella body, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan, will consist of a chairperson and 12 other members, all of whom will be appointed by the President of India. The councils will have 14 members and the president and the members of the councils will also be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a search-cum-selection committee of the Union government. A. Unified Apex Body The bill will comprise three independent councils- Standards Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad), Regulatory Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad) and Accreditation Council (Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad). Each council can have up to 14 members and VBSA will include members from the Education Ministry, State higher education institutions, and eminent experts. B. Higher Education Regulation With a plan to repeal UGC Act 1956, AICTE Act 1987, and NCTE Act 1993, it will create a single coherent framework for higher education regulation. C. Single-Window Digital Platform A faceless, single-window digital platform will oversee the approvals, inspections, and compliance processes D. Greater Autonomy Institutions will enjoy greater autonomy, especially high-performing universities. The Statement of Objects and Reasons attached to the bill highlights that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 calls for a fundamental transformation of the education ecosystem. This includes redesigning regulatory and governance mechanisms to develop a system suited to the demands and ambitions of 21st-century learning. It explains that the proposed law is rooted in the NEP’s view that the current regulatory framework is outdated and needs a thorough reworking to revitalise the higher education sector and support its long-term growth. The document further outlines the NEP’s push for a “light but tight” oversight model- one that maintains accountability, transparency and efficient resource use through audits and disclosures, while also promoting innovation by granting institutions greater autonomy, strengthening governance, and encouraging creative approaches. The proposed law applies to all central and state universities, colleges and Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), institutions of national importance, institutions of eminence, and technical and teacher education institutions. Professional programmes such as Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Law, Pharmacology, and Veterinary Sciences will continue under their respective regulators and thereby be exempted.