Dharmendra Pradhan reviews HECI amid plans to introduce bill in Parliament

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan today reviewed a presentation on the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) which seeks to replace regulators including the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and National Council for Technical Education (NCTE).

“Overviewed a presentation on HECI along with Ministerial colleague Sukanta Majumdar, senior officials of Ministry of Education, and academics. Under the guidance of PM Modi, we are committed to create a 21st century higher education architecture, enhance quality of education, promote research and innovation and ensure our HEIs play a central role in actualising the dream of Viksit Bharat,” the minister said in a post on X.

Recently, a Parliamentary panel expressed opposition to the HECI arguing that it could lead to closure of institutions in rural areas facing infrastructural and faculty shortages and fuel privatisation.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 proposes the creation of HECI as the principal regulator for higher education. The proposed HECI Bill will have the ability to grant degrees and close institutions failing to meet norms.

In October last year, Pradhan informed that the HECI bill will be introduced in Parliament soon but medical and law colleges will not be brought under its ambit. The commission will have three major roles which are regulation, accreditation and setting professional standards. The fourth vertical of funding will not be under the HECI and the autonomy for funding will stay with the administrative ministry, as per Pradhan.

Earlier too, the Union education minister had an extensive consultation on taking further steps for the formulation of HECI. During the meeting, Dharmendra Pradhan had said that the commission should ensure employability, job creation and global outlook.