Need to bring uniform pattern in regulation, standard setting, accreditation of Universities: Dharmendra Pradhan on Shiksha Adhishthan Bill

New Delhi [India], December 16 (ANI): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday defended the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, stating that there was a need to establish a "uniform pattern" in regulation, standard-setting, and university accreditation, aligning it with the National Education Policy (NEP).
Pradhan introduced the Bill in Parliament on Monday, and it was later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee amid opposition.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital today, Pradhan stated that the Bill establishes three councils for regulation, standard-setting, and accreditation, which will work in coordination with the Viksit Bharat Shikshah Adhishthan.
The Union Minister said, "There are multiple regulators, standard-setting bodies and accreditation bodies. The makers of the NEP noted that, if we are to bring higher education to global standards, the Act needs to be amended. UGC was all-in-one: a regulator, a standard-setting body, and an accreditor. We faced a problem as there was a conflict of interest and a lack of objectivity. UGC was implemented in 1956, then in the 1980s, the AICTE Act came, and the NCTE Act came in the 90s. With time, the Institutions of National Importance were formed based on Acts passed in Parliament."
"Then there is also the Council of Architecture, which is a standards and licensing body. There was a need to bring these under a uniform pattern. The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan will have three councils: Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad as a regulatory council, Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad as an accreditation council, and Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad as a standards council. All three councils will be autonomous, and Shiksha Adhisthan will work for coordination," he added.
Addressing the concern for State Universities, he stated, "A problem was that there was no role of states in the UGC. State Universities will remain the same, and the coordination will work on the existing framework."
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, establishes the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan to enable universities and other higher education institutions to become independent, self-governing bodies.
The Bill also proposes to constitute Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad as a regulatory council, Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad as an accreditation council, and Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad as a standards council. The Bill aligns with the NEP 2020. The Bill has been sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The Bill seeks to repeal the University Grants Commission Act (UGC), 1956; the All India Council for Technical Education Act (AICTE), 1987; and the National Council for Teacher Education Act (NCTE), 1993.
The Council of Architecture (CoA) shall function as a Professional Standard Setting Body (PSSB) as envisioned in the NEP, 2020. The Bill ensures the upholding of the current level of autonomy accorded to the Institutions of National Importance. (ANI)