Centre yields to Andhra Pradesh govt.’s demands, to modify higher education Bill
Union Education Ministry agrees to revise the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill after Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya objections over centralisation and campus powers
- The Union Education Ministry agreed to revise the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill after objections from Andhra Pradesh.
- The proposed Regulatory Council would need State government clearance before key decisions affecting colleges affiliated to State universities.
- The joint parliamentary committee said one contentious clause giving the Centre overriding powers should be reworked entirely.
- The Union Education Ministry accepted Meghalaya's proposal allowing State universities to establish constituent colleges, off-campus centres, and multiple campuses under State law.
What happened
The Union Education Ministry has agreed to modify the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill after objections from Andhra Pradesh over centralisation of powers. The change is important because the Bill concerns higher-education regulation and the balance between the Centre and States.
The revised approach would require the proposed Regulatory Council to obtain State government clearance before taking key decisions that affect colleges affiliated to State universities.
UPSC may frame the issue around federal balance in education regulation, the powers of a new regulatory body, and the role of parliamentary scrutiny in correcting centralising clauses in a higher-education Bill.
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