‘Light but Tight’: How the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill Aims to Reform Higher Education

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has outlined the rationale behind the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, calling it a major structural reform aimed at simplifying India’s higher education regulation and giving institutions greater autonomy to compete globally.

What Problem Is the Bill Addressing?

India’s higher education system has expanded rapidly, with nearly 60,000 institutions, including around 1,200 universities, 6,000–7,000 autonomous colleges, and nearly 15,000 teacher education institutions. Despite this growth, regulation remains fragmented.

Currently, multiple bodies such as the UGC, AICTE, NCTE, NAAC and various statutory councils regulate standards, approvals and accreditation—often overlapping in their functions.

According to Pradhan, this parallel system has led to:

• Duplication of roles

• Conflicts of interest

• Repeated data submissions

• Inefficiency and regulatory confusion

How the New Framework Will Work

The Bill proposes a single, uniform regulatory architecture with three autonomous councils:

1. Standards Council – to set academic benchmarks

2. Regulatory Council – to oversee compliance

3. Accreditation Council – to assess institutional quality

These councils will function independently but under an apex coordinating body responsible for administrative, financial and policy oversight.

What About States and State Universities?

Addressing concerns from states, Pradhan clarified that:

• Education remains on the Concurrent List

• The functioning of state universities will not be disturbed

• The focus is on coordination and standards, not centralisation

Autonomy at the Core

Autonomy is described as the Bill’s central pillar. The minister said flexibility is essential for Indian universities to achieve global competitiveness.

The framework also supports interdisciplinary education, allowing students to combine fields such as medicine, management, technology and humanities—aligned with the needs of a changing economy.

Action Against Fake Universities

The Bill includes strict provisions against:

• Fake universities

• Unregulated institutional growth

Penal action will be taken against violators. Pradhan described the approach as “light but tight”—minimal interference, but zero tolerance for malpractice.

Transparent Accreditation and Student Feedback

Accreditation will be based on:

• Self-declared institutional data

• Discreet student feedback, considered critical for quality assessment

Institutional data will be placed in the public domain, making the process transparent and open to scrutiny.

Rankings, Skills and Research

The government plans to:

• Introduce a new ranking framework alongside NIRF

• Implement a new credit architecture for reskilling and upskilling

• Promote research, innovation and entrepreneurship

These reforms aim to improve outreach and raise India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education.

What Happens Next?

A 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) will examine the Bill, hold consultations and submit its report by end-February.

Calling it a reform aligned with the National Education Policy, Pradhan said the goal is a simplified, transparent and accountable higher education system capable of supporting India’s long-term development.