VBSA Bill 2025 sent to 31-member JPC: Dharmendra Pradhan says no change in policy for state universities

A 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee will hold extensive discussions till the end of February before finalising the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill 2025 — formerly known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill — the Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said during a press conference.

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday. However, following strong opposition from the members of the Parliament, the education minister on Tuesday moved the bill to a joint parliamentary committee.

In a press briefing, the education minister said that the proposed legislation aims to address the long-standing issues in higher education and said these reforms in the education act are mandatory to take India’s higher education to a global standard.

India currently has around 60,000 higher education institutions, 1,200 universities, and about 15,000 teachers in these institutions.

Policies for state universities unchanged

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is an overall body that plays multiple roles, including regulations and funding. The presence of multiple regulators such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) along with UGC is what led to the need for a uniform framework, he said.

While the Centre claimed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 will strengthen institutional autonomy, accreditation and quality, promote excellence in teaching, learning, research and innovation, several educators, academics, and student groups have raised concerns over the same parameters.

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Addressing the concerns raised by the opposition, Pradhan clarified that state universities will continue to function as they currently do, and that there will be no change in policy. The bill seeks to bring seamlessness in regulation, remove subjectivity and the fragmented penalty system under the existing framework, he added.

Student feedback for ranking HEIs

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill will bring a new ranking framework, Pradhan said, adding that students will contribute to institutional ranking and assessment through structured feedback on academic quality, infrastructure, governance, and overall learning experience, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.

He also said industry representation will be included in the councils, alongside academicians.

“The membership of the Adhishthan and various Councils primarily comprises eminent academicians, domain experts, and representatives from States/UTs, State HEIs, and Institutions of National Importance, ensuring balanced representation and informed decision-making,” the ministry said.

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Structure of VBSA

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan will comprise three independent councils.

• The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad (Standards Council) will be responsible for setting minimum standards for HEls;
• Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad (Regulatory Council) will handle regulations and coordination, and global engagement,
• Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad (Accreditation Council) will oversee and strengthen the accreditation ecosystem.

The bill will repeal the UGC Act 1956, the AICTE Act, 1987, and the NCTE Act, 1993, and bring all educational institutions under the purview of the new commission.