Central university teachers oppose Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, flag concern over autonomy, funding

NEW DELHI: A group of central university teachers and associations on Monday condemned a new Bill introduced in Parliament that aims to regulate institutions of higher education, warning that the proposed legislation threatens university autonomy, public funding, and teachers' service conditions.

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday. The Bill seeks to establish a single higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.

It would replace the existing University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

A press conference was organised by group of teachers on Monday, which was attended by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, said the proposed VBSA Bill will create a commission, led by a chairperson, to oversee regulation, accreditation and the setting of learning standards.

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No funding powers for new commission

Unlike the bodies it replaces, the new commission will not hold funding powers , resulting in dismantling of public funded higher education, they said. The government has expressed a willingness to refer it to a joint committee but the teachers said the passing of the Bill was inevitable.

"This bill has been in the works for many years and referring it to the JPC just delays the inevitable. This bill attempts to fundamentally alter how the universities function," Jha said. Nandita Narain, educationist and president, Joint Forum for Movement on Education (JFME), said no council under the proposed commission has been set for funding of Higher Education Institutes (HEI).

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"The VBSA Bill is to make the Ministry of Education (MoE) responsible for disbursing grants. This will make the process of grant allocation more bureaucratic, arbitrary and subject to political considerations," Narain said.

Currently, the UGC oversees general higher education, AICTE manages technical education and the NCTE handles teacher training. The government expects the single regulator to streamline processes, reduce duplication, and create greater consistency in compliance requirements for universities and colleges across the country.