Proposed Legislation under Development to Supersede UGC, AICTE, NCTE: Education Ministry Reveals to Lok Sabha
The Ministry of Education is currently drafting a bill to establish the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a unified regulator for higher education in India. This move, announced by Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar on July 21, 2025, signifies the beginning of the legislative process, although the bill has yet to be introduced in Parliament.
The HECI is intended to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), consolidating oversight of non-technical, technical, and teacher education under one authority. This initiative traces its roots to the draft HECI Bill introduced in 2018, which sought to repeal the UGC Act of 1956, and has been revitalized under the current government, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed HECI aims to modernize Indian higher education in several ways. By functioning as an umbrella body, it will bring together regulation, accreditation, funding, and standard-setting under a single authority, marking a significant departure from the current fragmented system where separate agencies manage different aspects of higher education. This consolidation is expected to reduce administrative duplication, simplify governance, and ensure uniformity across general, technical, and teacher education sectors.
The NEP 2020 envisions a “light but tight” regulatory framework, aiming to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic interference while maintaining rigorous standards through audits and public disclosure. This approach is designed to encourage innovation, autonomy, and good governance within institutions. Institutions are expected to gain greater autonomy to design curricula and implement new teaching methodologies, fostering a more dynamic academic environment.
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) will be merged into HECI’s accreditation wing, adopting a peer-review system similar to those used in the United States. This aims to ensure a consistent, transparent, and globally aligned quality framework for Indian higher education. The HECI will focus on raising academic standards and enhancing the overall quality of higher education in India.
By replacing multiple regulators with one, the government aims to address inefficiencies, promote transparency, and streamline decision-making processes in higher education administration. The new structure is intended to empower institutions, reduce red tape, and align India’s higher education system with international best practices.
In summary, the HECI legislation represents a transformative step towards modernizing India’s higher education system. By emphasizing autonomy, transparency, and quality, the proposed HECI aims to align Indian higher education with global standards, reduce administrative burdens, and foster innovation and excellence across all sectors. The bill is currently in the drafting stage, with formal introduction in Parliament awaited.
- The proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) is a significant step towards education-and-self-development policy-and-legislation, as it aims to modernize Indian higher education by consolidating regulation, accreditation, funding, and standard-setting under one authority, aligning the system with international best practices.
- This transformation in the politics of higher education in India is expected to address inefficiencies, promote transparency, and streamline decision-making processes, as the bill to establish the HECI is currently being drafted by the Ministry of Education, with general-news coverage closely following the development.
