The HECI, proposed under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, is intended to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
Currently, the UGC handles non-technical higher education, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE regulates teacher education.
Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar provided the update in a written response to a parliamentary question.
“The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions a ‘light but tight’ regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency, and resource efficiency of the educational system through audit and public disclosure, while encouraging innovation and out-of-the-box ideas through autonomy, good governance, and empowerment,” Majumdar said.
“The NEP 2020 further envisions setting up of a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as an umbrella body with independent verticals to perform distinct functions of regulation, accreditation, funding, and academic standard setting. Considering the above vision of NEP 2020, the ministry is in the process of drafting a HECI bill,” he added.
The idea of HECI has been under discussion since 2018, when a draft bill was released for public consultation. That proposal aimed to repeal the UGC Act and replace it with a single regulatory authority. Fresh momentum was seen after Dharmendra Pradhan became the Union Education Minister in July 2021.
The NEP 2020 describes the current regulatory system as needing a “complete overhaul” to energise higher education and help it grow.
