VBSA Bill Tabled in Parliament; Aims to Reshape Higher Education

Dec 17, 2025 - Union Minister for Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill 2025 in Lok Sabha on Monday (December 15) to much criticism from the Opposition which accused the Centre of over centralising education. The Bill has been sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Earlier known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill 2025, the VBSA Bill signals a reinvention of the higher educational structure in the country by implementing a uniform and all-inclusive framework for this sector across India.

Based on the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it aims to introduce clarity on curriculum reforms and overhaul of the academic environment. Once the Bill is passed and in place, it will repeal the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act of 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Act of 1987 and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993.

Through this Bill, the Ministry of Education proposes independence and self-governance of universities and all higher educational institutes across India in the name of a common benchmark for regulation, accreditation and learning standards.

The VBSA will be the apex umbrella body and with three councils - Visit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad (regulatory council), Visit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad (accreditation council) and the Visit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad (standards council). Accreditation will be a key function of the new body, maintaining uniformity across all higher education institutions.

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