Education Minister Pradhan defends education reform bill, says state powers remain unchanged

The Union government on Dec 16 moved to send the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee after objections from Opposition parties, with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserting that the proposed law does not dilute the powers of states or threaten institutional autonomy.

The Lok Sabha adopted a resolution referring the Bill to a joint panel of both Houses. The proposal was introduced by Pradhan, who said the committee route would allow concerns raised by members to be examined in detail.

The 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee will include 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. It has been asked to submit its report by the last day of the first part of the budget session in 2026.

“There is no threat to institutional autonomy. If the Opposition has some concerns or misconceptions, they can be addressed by the JPC. The powers with the states will remain as they are at present,” Pradhan said.

Opposition members have argued that the Bill centralizes control over higher education.

Responding to these concerns, the minister said the intent of the legislation is to promote a more flexible and innovation-oriented education framework without altering the existing federal balance.

The Bill proposes the creation of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan as an apex body for higher education regulation. It also provides for three separate councils covering regulation, accreditation, and academic standards.

If enacted, the law would repeal the University Grants Commission Act of 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act of 1987, and the National Council for Teacher Education Act of 1993.

All higher education institutions currently governed by the Education Ministry, UGC, AICTE, and NCTE would shift to the new framework for standards determination.

At present, the UGC regulates non-technical institutions, AICTE oversees technical education, and NCTE handles teacher education.

Funding for higher education institutions is routed through different mechanisms, with central universities receiving grants through the UGC and Institutes of National Importance funded directly by the Centre.

Officials said the Bill aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, which calls for separating funding from academic regulation and accreditation.

Under the proposed system, grants to centrally funded institutions would be disbursed through mechanisms developed by the Education Ministry.

“Considering that the National Education Policy 2020 also envisages separating funding from the functions of academic standard setting, regulation, and accreditation, the disbursal of grants to centrally funded HEIs shall be ensured through mechanisms devised by the Education Ministry, which will be similar to or better than the existing mechanisms,” officials said.

They added that feedback from the proposed Regulatory Council on institutional performance would play a key role in determining how funds are allocated to higher education institutions in the future.