In a recent development, the HRD Ministry has drafted a bill based on the decision to scrap Union Grants Commission (UGC) with the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), which will also take over All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). The bill is to be presented before the cabinet next month.
“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,” a senior HRD Ministry official said.
“The HECI will be created by repealing the UGC Act, 1951 and AICTE Act, 1987,” the official further added.
With an aim to promote the quality of education and maintain the academic standards in institutions, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank” had earlier informed about the single regulatory body, HECI which will be replacing both UGC & AICTE.
Talking further, he said, “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.”
Earlier, there was a bill drafted which proposed that HECI will look into the academic matters under the HRD Ministry.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) had last year announced its decision to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC) by repealing the UGC Act, 1951.
Union Grants Commission (UGC) acts as a regulator for universities across the country and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) acts as a regulator for engineering, pharmacy, management and other technical education colleges.
