Assam’s State Higher Education Council: Facilitator or another bureaucratic layer, ask academics

Academics and administrators in Assam are cautiously optimistic about the new State Higher Education Council that the government is in the process of establishing. They hope it will smoothen their dealings with central regulators and improve coordination between the state’s institutions but also worry it will add another layer of bureaucracy and curtail their autonomy. After all, a previous effort at having such a coordinating body, had ended in the underpinning law, the Assam Higher Education Council Act 2017, being repealed within five years.

"If the State Higher Education Council is much controlled by the government, there may be a lack of autonomy in universities …. But there has to be accountability as well," said Dhruba Chakraborty, retired principal of the autonomous Bhola Nath College or BN College in Dhubri, Assam, affiliated to Gauhati University.

At the end of July, the Assam legislative assembly passed the Assam State Higher Education Council Bill, 2026, paving the way for a state-level body to “regulate, supervise and develop higher education in Assam”. The council is proposed as a coordinating body between the state government, universities, higher education institutions and national regulatory bodies, such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Bar Council of India (BCI) and others.

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Chakraborty’s views reflect a larger debate among academics on whether the proposed council can improve coordination in Assam’s higher education sector without affecting institutional autonomy.

Assam Higher Education Council: Minister at the top

The Assam Higher Education Council will have three bodies – a general council, an executive council and a state project directorate.

Its policy body, the general council, will have a non-academic at the top. A plenary body including state university vice-chancellors, a UGC nominee, senior government officials, representatives of colleges and academics, the general council will be chaired by the higher education minister of Assam with an eminent academic as deputy chairperson. There are no elected members in any of the three bodies.

It will prepare long-term plans for higher education, advise the government on academic policy, governance and university regulations, and oversee institutional development and quality.

The Bill is unclear on the role of the chief minister. While defining the general council, it describes the body as being “headed by the Chief Minister of Assam”. However, the section detailing its composition says the higher education minister will chair it. Under the previous Assam State Higher Education Council Act, 2017, the chief minister was the chairman and the higher education minister, vice-chairman. Officials contacted for clarification did not respond.

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The second body, the executive council, will be chaired by the chief secretary of the higher education department. Including senior government officials, directors of education departments, academics and the council's director, it will implement the decisions of the general council, oversee the council's administration, execute approved programmes, manage budgets, expenditure and audits, reporting to the general council.

The Bill describes the State Project Directorate as the operational arm of the council, headed by its director, also a government appointee.

The Bill proposes that the council prepare a State Higher Education Plan (SHEP), monitor its implementation; advise the government and institutions on academic planning and investments; evaluate institutions; and suggest improvements in exams, curriculum and syllabus, infrastructure development and quality improvement

It also promises the council will “protect the autonomy of state institutions” while periodically reviewing university statutes, ordinances and regulations. It will also advise universities on improving their rules and practices to promote social justice and academic excellence.

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Assam Universities: Better coordination

While educationists broadly welcomed the objective of improving coordination among universities, colleges and the government, they differed on whether the council would strengthen higher education or create another layer of administrative control.

Assam had earlier constituted a Higher Education Council under the Assam Higher Education Council Act, 2017 but it was repealed in 2022.

Mohsina Rehman, assistant professor at Assam Women's University, Jorhat , said the earlier council could not fulfil the purpose for which it was created. "The success of the new council will depend on how effectively it functions after implementation," she said.

Chakraborty said the biggest problem in Assam's higher education system is the division of academic and administrative responsibilities. According to him, universities exercise academic control over colleges while the directorate of higher education under the state government manages administration, infrastructure, faculty appointments and finances.

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"There has been a lack of coordination between the university and the government. If an institution wants to implement an academic programme, it needs university approval. But for infrastructure, faculty and staff, it has to approach the government. Everything comes from different authorities," Chakraborty said.

He said the Higher Education Council could bring universities, colleges and the government under one umbrella, improving coordination and reducing administrative hurdles.

Ranjan Kalita, principal at Rangapara College, Sonitpur – also affiliated to Gauhati University – agreed that better coordination was needed. He said the council's composition, which includes vice-chancellors, senior bureaucrats, finance and planning officials, as well as nominated principals and academics, could improve policy implementation as financial and academic decisions often require government support.

Assam Higher Education Council: The autonomy question

Despite supporting the idea of a coordinating body, academics repeatedly cautioned that university autonomy should not be weakened.

Chakraborty said the council must be led by academics and not bureaucrats. “An academician should lead the council. If the council is too much controlled by the government, university autonomy may suffer," he said.

However, he added that autonomy should not become synonymous with lack of accountability. "Universities must enjoy sufficient autonomy, but they should also remain answerable. There has to be a balance," he said.

Contrary to Chakraborty’s view, Ranjan Kalita said the council is intended for academic coordination, quality monitoring and infrastructure planning, and would not undermine university autonomy. However, he cautioned that it could dilute autonomy if it functions as another supervisory authority.

Assam: New council, autonomy, NEP 2020

While supporting the objective of improving governance, Niva Kalita, assistant professor of Commerce at the private Assam Royal Global University, Gauhati, questioned the timing of the legislation.

"Colleges across Assam are being granted autonomous status so that they can innovate and function independently under the NEP [National Education Policy]. If another supervisory body is placed over them, it defeats the very purpose of granting autonomy," Niva Kalita said.

She said the council would be useful only if it acted as a facilitator rather than another approval layer. She argued that institutions across Assam are still struggling to implement NEP 2020 and the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) . "The intention of the government may be very good. I'm not questioning that. But this is not what we require at the moment. What we need first is a seamless transition to the NEP ," she said.

She said institutions are still trying to finalise syllabus, credit system and postgraduate courses. "We already have several regulatory authorities. Adding another one may make the system more complicated instead of simpler."

Kalita added that changes in governance alone will not improve higher education unless problems like faculty shortages are addressed. The count of students has gone up due to FYUP but the teaching strength remains the same.

"A four-year degree programme needs more faculty . Many colleges are relying on guest teachers because regular recruitment has not taken place. Universities also face shortages of laboratories, libraries, classrooms and teachers.” she said.

Ranjan Kalita similarly argued that the council's immediate priority should be assessing infrastructure and manpower across institutions. While clarifying that the council should not duplicate the role of NAAC, he said Assam currently lacks a dedicated body to continuously monitor higher education quality.

"NAAC accredits institutions, but there is no state-level mechanism that regularly assesses infrastructure, manpower and academic quality. The proposed council can fill that gap," he said.

Experts hope council strengthens NEP

Rehman said the proposed council could provide an institutional platform for implementing NEP 2020 more effectively by improving coordination among universities, autonomous colleges, affiliated colleges, the state government and the UGC while promoting multidisciplinary education, research and industry partnerships.

"UGC works for universities across the country. But this council will work specifically for Assam's universities and colleges. A state-level body can better understand the state's own strengths and weaknesses and address them accordingly," Rehman said.

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"Many institutions are unable to undertake funded research because they have not yet secured UGC's 12(B) recognition. The council can identify these gaps and help strengthen research support," she explained.

Supporting industry linkages and employment

Rehman also believes the council can also facilitate industry-academia linkages. "Students graduate every year, but unemployment remains high. We need courses that connect higher education with industry so that students can find employment soon after completing their studies," she said.

The Bill reflects this objective by proposing that the council "explore the scope for interaction with industry and other related establishments”.

Despite differences over its timing and the scope of government involvement, academics agreed that the council's effectiveness can only be assessed after it becomes operational.

Rahman noted that Assam's earlier Higher Education Council Act was eventually repealed, showing that implementation matters more than legislative intent. "Every new legislation has both advantages and disadvantages. The council's success will depend on how it functions after implementation. Only after it has been in operation for a year or two, its strengths and weaknesses will become clear," she said.