Paper: GS – II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Legislature, Issue: Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025.
Context:
The Union Government has decided to send the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025 to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
Key Takeaways:
What does the Bill propose?
Establishment of a Higher Education Commission as an umbrella body.
Creation of three councils for: Regulation, Accreditation and Academic standards.
- Subsumes functions of: University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
Aims to ensure:
- Uniform standards
- Coordination across institutions
- Holistic development of higher education
| What is a Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC)? Background: In India, a structured committee system was introduced in 1993 to provide for greater scrutiny of government functioning by Parliament. About a JPC: These are set up by a motion passed in one house of Parliament and agreed to by the other. Its members include MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha (in proportion to party strengths there, and therefore representation of LS is double that of RS). Therefore, a JPC is an ad-hoc body, which acts as a mini-Parliament to carry out detailed scrutiny of a specific matter within a specific time frame. |
Key Features of the HECI Bill 2025:
- Single Regulator for All Higher Education
- Four Vertical Structure (as per NEP 2020): National Higher Education Regulatory (NHERC):Â Regulation and compliance for all institutions (except medical & legal).
- National Accreditation Council (NAC):Â Accreditation and quality benchmarking.
- General Education Council (GEC):Â Learning outcomes, curricular frameworks, academic standards.
- Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC):Â Funding though funding powers likely remain with the Ministry, not HECI.
Independent, Expert-Based Governance:
- Each vertical will function as an autonomous professional body with experts known for integrity and experience.
- HECI itself will be a small, independent commission overseeing coordination among the verticals.
- Reduction of Red Tape
- Autonomy for Higher Education Institutions: Bill seeks to help institutions become independent, self-governing, and academically free.
- Promotes a transparent, robust accreditation system linked to academic autonomy.
- Alignment with NEP 2020
Significance of the HECI Bill 2025:
- Structural Reform in higher education Governance:Â
- Enhances Quality and Accountability
- Reduces Bureaucratic Overload
The decision to refer the Higher Education Regulator Bill to a JPC underscores the need for consensus in structural reforms. While regulatory simplification is necessary, safeguarding federalism, institutional autonomy, and linguistic inclusivity will be crucial for the Bill’s legitimacy and success.
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