A group of teachers from central universities and several academic associations on Monday opposed the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, warning that the proposed law could undermine university
autonomy, public funding of higher education and teachers’ service conditions.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier this week and seeks to overhaul India’s higher education regulatory framework. It proposes the creation of a single apex body, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan, along with three councils responsible for regulation, accreditation and academic standards. If passed, the legislation will replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
At a press conference held on Monday, teachers’ groups said the proposed structure would centralise control over universities. The event was attended by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, who said the Bill would establish a commission led by a chairperson with wide powers over regulation, accreditation and learning standards, as reported by news agency PTI.
No Funding Powers, Teachers Warn
One of the key concerns raised by teachers was that, unlike the UGC, the proposed commission would not have the power to fund universities.
They argued that removing funding powers from the regulator could weaken public-funded higher education and increase government control. According to the Bill, the responsibility for grant disbursal will shift to the Ministry of Education, a move teachers say could make funding more bureaucratic and politically driven.
“This bill has been in the works for many years and referring it to the JPC just delays the inevitable. This bill attempts to fundamentally alter how the universities function,” Jha said.
Educationist Nandita Narain, president of the Joint Forum for Movement on Education (JFME), said none of the councils under the proposed commission has been given responsibility for funding Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
“The VBSA Bill is to make the Ministry of Education (MoE) responsible for disbursing grants. This will make the process of grant allocation more bureaucratic, arbitrary and subject to political considerations,” Narain said.
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Government’s Stand
The government has defended the Bill, saying it is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to reduce over-regulation, multiple approvals and repeated inspections faced by universities and colleges.
Under the proposed system, regulation will be technology-driven, faceless and based on public self-disclosure through a single digital portal. The government has also indicated that the Bill could be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, though teachers’ groups said they believe its passage is inevitable.
At present, higher education is regulated separately by UGC, AICTE and NCTE. The Centre argues that a single regulator will bring consistency, reduce duplication and improve transparency across the sector.
However, teachers and academic bodies have demanded wider consultations, warning that the proposed law could reshape the functioning of universities without adequate safeguards for autonomy, funding and academic freedom.
