Background
The Central Government has introduced the Viksit Bharat
Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 (Bill) in Parliament, seeking to
overhaul the regulatory framework for higher education in India.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 15 December 2025 and
referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee the following day.
The Bill proposes to repeal the University Grants Commission
Act, 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987,
and the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993,
consolidating their functions under a unified regulatory
architecture. Upon enactment, the UGC, AICTE and NCTE will stand
dissolved.
Rationale
The Bill's Statement of Objects and Reasons acknowledges
that India's higher education sector has expanded to over one
thousand universities and more than 60,000 higher educational
institutions. According to the Government, this growth has resulted
in the establishment of several statutory regulatory bodies,
requiring
