Cabinet Approves Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill: UGC, AICTE and NCTE to Be Replaced

The Union Cabinet has approved the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, replacing UGC, AICTE and NCTE with a single regulator. The move aligns with NEP 2020 and reshapes higher education governance. Read the full article for key details and implications.

Table of Contents

India is preparing for its most significant higher education reform in decades. The Union Cabinet has approved the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, a sweeping legislation that will restructure how universities and colleges are regulated across the country.

Earlier known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, the renamed bill signals the government’s intent to move decisively towards a single, streamlined regulatory framework, as envisioned under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill: Overview

Key Aspect	Details
Name of the Bill	Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill
Earlier Name	Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill
Approved By	Union Cabinet of India
Core Objective	Establish a single higher education regulator
Bodies to Be Replaced	UGC, AICTE, NCTE
Institutions Covered	All non-medical and non-law higher education institutions
Excluded Streams	Medical and Legal Education
Policy Alignment	National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
Funding Authority	Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education
Parliamentary Status	To be introduced in Winter Session of Parliament

What Is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill?

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill proposes the creation of a unified higher education regulator that will take over the regulatory roles currently performed by three separate statutory bodies:

University Grants Commission for general higher education
All India Council for Technical Education for technical courses
National Council for Teacher Education for teacher training

Why Is the Government Replacing UGC, AICTE and NCTE?

For a long time, colleges and universities in India had to follow rules from different regulators for different courses. This often created confusion and extra paperwork. Many rules overlapped, and institutions had to seek approval from multiple bodies for the same work. The new bill aims to fix these problems by bringing everything under one regulator. It is meant to solve issues like:

Same work being checked by multiple authorities
Delays in getting approvals and decisions
Different standards for different courses
Too much paperwork and compliance pressure on institutions

How the New Unified Regulator Will Function

The proposed Commission will focus strictly on regulation, accreditation, and academic standards. Importantly, it will not control funding. Financial responsibilities will remain with the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. This separation is intended to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that academic regulation remains independent of funding decisions.

Four Functional Verticals Under the New Framework

In line with NEP 2020, the new regulatory structure will operate through four clearly defined verticals.

Vertical	Name of the Body	Key Responsibility	Scope of Work
Vertical 1	National Higher Education Regulatory Council	Regulation of higher education institutions	Regulates all higher education institutions except medical and legal education
Vertical 2	National Accreditation Council	Quality assurance and accreditation	Accredits institutions and programmes to ensure academic quality
Vertical 3	General Education Council	Academic standards and learning outcomes	Frames curriculum norms, learning outcomes, and academic benchmarks
Vertical 4	Higher Education Grants Council	Funding-related decisions	Recommends grants and funding, while financial control remains with the government

What Is Excluded From the New Regulator?

Medical and legal education institutions will remain outside the purview of the new Commission. They will continue to be governed by their respective professional councils, recognising the specialised nature of these fields.

From HECI to Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan

The idea of a unified regulator dates back to 2018, when the draft HECI Bill was first circulated. That proposal sought to repeal the UGC Act but faced resistance over concerns of centralisation and institutional autonomy. NEP 2020 revived the concept with a more balanced approach, recommending:

Clear separation of regulation and funding
Reduced duplication of roles
Stronger quality assurance mechanisms

What Happens to UGC NET December 2025 Exam?

Following the Cabinet’s approval of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, aspirants may have concerns about UGC NET. However, the reform does not affect the UGC NET December 2025 examination in any manner.

No change in exam schedule or syllabus
Exam remains valid for eligibility
NTA to continue conducting the exam
NET certificates remain fully valid
Policy reform does not impact exams

What Universities, Teachers and Students Can Expect

Stakeholder	What to Expect
Universities & Institutions	Fewer regulatory hurdles and simpler approval processes
Universities & Institutions	Clear and uniform compliance rules
Universities & Institutions	Greater focus on quality teaching and academic outcomes
Teachers	Uniform academic and evaluation standards
Teachers	More transparent and accountable systems
Students	Better credibility and recognition of degrees
Students	A fair, transparent, and student-friendly education system

Cabinet Approves Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill

What is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill?

It is a new law approved by the Union Cabinet to create a single regulator for higher education, replacing UGC, AICTE, and NCTE.

Which bodies will be replaced by this bill?

The bill proposes to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).