The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, is set to hold more consultations with students, young people and higher education institutions as it examines the proposed changes to India’s higher education regulatory framework.
The panel, headed by BJP MP D Purandeswari, has already conducted consultations in Kolkata, Goa and Bengaluru to understand the expectations of students and institutions from the proposed regulatory system. In Kolkata, discussions included state governments from Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim, along with institutions such as IIM Calcutta, IIT Kharagpur and Nalanda University.
In Bengaluru, the committee sought views from the governments of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The panel is expected to visit additional cities as part of its stakeholder outreach.
The consultations come amid concerns among students and other stakeholders over examinations, admissions, institutional autonomy, academic standards and student welfare. The JPC’s report, earlier expected during the Monsoon Session, was deferred following concerns raised by allies, including the TDP and the Andhra Pradesh government, over provisions of the proposed legislation.
The Bill proposes replacing the UGC, AICTE and NCTE with a new umbrella body, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan. The proposed framework includes separate councils for regulation, accreditation and academic standards.
The expanded consultations are expected to give the committee further stakeholder input before it finalises its recommendations on the proposed higher education reforms.
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