Centre mulls scrapping UGC, AICTE; plans single regulator

New Delhi: In a major move towards education reforms, the government has decided to scrap University Grants Commission (UGC) as well as the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and proposed to constitute Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), which would replace both the institutions.

According of officials in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry, a bill in this regard would be placed before the Cabinet in next month.

Earlier, the HRD had last year announced its decision to replace the UGC by repealing the UGC Act, 1951. The draft bill was put in public

domain and feedback and suggestions were sought from stakeholders.

"The Higher Education Commission of India will be a single regulator and replace UGC and AICTE. The bill has been prepared after elaborate consultation with states. It will be taken to the Cabinet in October," the senior official said, adding that the HECI will be created by repealing the UGC Act, 1951 and AICTE Act, 1987.

Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' had informed Parliament in July that the HECI will promote the quality of academic instruction, maintenance of academic standards and encourage autonomy of good performing educational institutions for free pursuit of knowledge, innovation, skills and entrepreneurship.

"The aim is to be inclusive and offer opportunities to all, and also provide for comprehensive growth of higher education and research in a competitive global environment," he had said.

While the UGC is the regulator for universities across the country, AICTE acts as a regulator for engineering, pharmacy, management and other technical education colleges.

Earlier, a draft bill had proposed HECI to control academic matters while an advisory board under the HRD minister would have been in charge of issuing monetary grants to universities. There was opposition from various student groups about handing over the financial control to the ministry.