Overview
- The bill renames the earlier HECI proposal and merges the UGC, AICTE and NCTE into one national regulator.
- The new commission will handle regulation, accreditation and professional standards, excluding medical and law colleges.
- Officials said funding authority will not shift to the new body and will remain with the administrative ministry.
- The government is expected to introduce the bill in the ongoing Winter Session, as a parliamentary panel chair has sought referral over centralisation concerns.
- The reform aligns with NEP 2020 and revives a 2018 plan that met resistance, with critics now warning of a drift toward loan-based financing.