New Delhi:
The Education Ministry has told a parliamentary committee reviewing the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill that the law will not change the status or functioning of public universities, while defending provisions allowing institutions to open off-campus and off-campus centers subject to approvals.
In written responses to the 31-member joint parliamentary committee studying the bill, the ministry said the legislation complements state governments and does not replace them and does not change the governance structure of universities established under state laws.
The ministry also said Parliament has long exercised powers over the regulation of higher education, noting that the University Grants Commission (UGC) was set up in 1956 when education was still a state purview.
According to the ministry, the proposed regulatory council under the VBSA framework will not go beyond the existing role exercised by the UGC, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
Defending the provisions regarding off-campus and external centres, the ministry said the existing UGC regulations already allow such expansion subject to conditions including accreditation, minimum years of operation and prior approvals.
The VBSA Bill, introduced in Parliament in December 2025, seeks to replace the UGC, AICTE and NCTE with a 12-member committee that would oversee separate boards for regulation, standards and accreditation under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework.
The ministry also said that the proposed structure explicitly provides representation to state governments and government higher education institutions, contrary to the UGC Act, 1956.
During the committee’s last meeting, several higher education institutions broadly supported the proposed framework, saying it could reduce regulatory overlap and improve clarity, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.
However, some institutions have sought to establish an independent appeal mechanism for disputes arising from regulatory actions, while institutes of national importance such as independent investment institutes have raised concerns about protecting their legal independence under existing laws, the person added.
