Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill 2025: All You Need to Know Higher Education Bill

Viksit Bharat The Shiksha Adhishthan Bill 2025, introduced by the central government in the Lok Sabha, aims to improve academic quality, streamline regulation, and modernise governance in universities and higher educational institutions across India. It is rooted in the New Education Act, 2020, overhauling India's education regulatory system by replacing the University Grant Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICT) and the All India Council for Technical Education (NCTE) with a new umbrella commission. 

Core Objective of the Vikshit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA)/New Higher Education Bill:

1. To establish a single umbrella body to eliminate overregulation and duplication.

2. To implement a technology-driven single-window interactive system for higher educational institutions based upon public self-disclosure.

3. Facilitate the establishment of global standard higher educational institutions and improve the Growth Enrolment Ratio (GER). 

4. Enhanced autonomy for high-performing HEIs to foster innovation and academic excellence.

5. Student-centric and holistic education reforms to expand access, boost GER, and prepare highly skilled and future-ready youth.

6. public portal wherein the higher educational institutions will be required to report all matters pertaining to financial probity, good governance, all finances, audits, procedures, infrastructure, faculty and staff, courses and educational outcomes.

Key Provisions Under VBSA: 

According to the PIB, the following are the key provisions of the VBSA/Higher Education Bill:

• The University Grant Commission (UGC) Act 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Act 1987 and the All India Council for Technical Education (NCTE) Act 1993 to be subsumed under Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.

• Bill establishes Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan as the apex body with 3 independent councils for standards, regulation, and accreditation that is 

• the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad (the Regulatory Council),

• the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad (the Accreditation Council),

• the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad (the Standards Council)

• The commission will have its own Fund called as Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Fund.

• Faceless, technology-driven single-window system enabling transparent, trust-based regulation through public disclosure.

• A robust grievance redressal mechanism to ensure timely and effective resolution of student concerns

What are the recent developments on the Bill?

The bill was introduced by the education minister, Dr Dharmendra Pradhan, in the winter session of the Parliament in the Lok Sabha. It also needs to pass through the Rajya Sabha and then the president before implementing the bill.

• Referral to JPC: On the same day it was introduced (Dec 15), the Lok Sabha referred the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for further scrutiny. This followed protests from opposition members who raised concerns about the "excessive centralization" of education.

• Committee Composition: The JPC will consist of 31 members (21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha) and is expected to submit its report by the end of the first part of the Budget Session in 2026.

What constitutional provisions allow the federal government to establish the Unitary Higher Education Commission? 

The central government can establish a unitary Higher Education Commission under Article 246 and the Union List of the Seventh Schedule, which provides for the co-ordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions.

The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, provides for the constitution of a Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan along with the three councils, namely, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad, to enable and empower universities and other higher educational institutions to achieve excellence in teaching, learning, research and innovation as an outcome of better co-ordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions.

Also Read: VB-G RAM G Bill 2025: Central government introduced new bill to replace the MGNREG Act, 2005