A law establishing a united higher education body is being drafted by the education ministry

Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar told the Lok Sabha on Monday that the Ministry of Education is currently working on legislation to create the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), a proposed unified regulatory agency for higher education.

The idea, according to the Minister's written response, is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which supports a "light but tight" regulatory framework. In addition to encouraging institutional autonomy, innovation, and good governance, the framework seeks to guarantee transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

The HECI will function as an umbrella organization with separate verticals for funding, regulation, accreditation, and academic standards, as planned in NEP 2020. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and University Grants Commission (UGC) are among the current authorities that the proposed commission is meant to replace.

At the moment, NCTE governs teacher education, AICTE manages technical colleges, and the UGC supervises non-technical education. A 2018 draft bill that sought to repeal the UGC Act first proposed the notion of combining these responsibilities under a single regulator. The measure was subsequently made available for public comment.

Following his appointment in July 2021, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan gave the HECI's implementation a fresh lease on life. 

In order to rejuvenate India's higher education system and assist it in meeting modern challenges and international standards, the NEP 2020 highlights the necessity of a comprehensive revision of the current regulatory framework.