Joint panel gets time till Monsoon Session to report on UGC replacement Bill

POLITY – BILL/ACTS

13 FEBRUARY 2026

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025

• A Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 is now expected to submit its report by the end of the Monsoon Session, after being granted an extension by the Lok Sabha.

Objective of the Bill

The Bill seeks to:

• Merge multiple higher education regulators into a single “umbrella” commission
• Overhaul the regulatory framework in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020
• Streamline governance of higher education institutions

This marks a major structural reform in India’s higher education regulation.

About the Joint Committee

• 31-member panel
  • 20 from Lok Sabha
  • 10 from Rajya Sabha
• Constituted by the Speaker
• Chaired by D. Purandeswari (BJP)
• BJP has the largest representation (12 members)
• Notable members include:
  • Sambit Patra
  • Tejasvi Surya
  • Anurag Singh Thakur
  • Bansuri Swaraj
  • A. Bimol Akoijam (Congress)
  • Varsha Gaikwad (Congress)
  • Digvijaya Singh (Education Standing Committee Chair)

The Secretariat for the panel is yet to be formed, after which detailed examination will begin.

Opposition’s Concerns

Opposition MPs have objected to the Bill, arguing that it may:

• Lead to executive overreach
• Subject institutions to:
  • Pervasive executive control
  • Graded autonomy mechanisms
  • Intrusive compliance requirements
  • Severe penalties
  • Closure powers
• Undermine the federal structure, since education is in the Concurrent List