The Union Education Ministry is set to advance its long-standing agenda of establishing a single higher education regulator, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), within the next 100 days. This significant move comes alongside efforts to implement a twice-a-year board exam format starting in 2025.
The ministry’s agenda includes introducing HECI legislation in Parliament. This proposed regulator aims to streamline the regulatory framework by subsuming existing bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). HECI is expected to replace the current “rigid” regulatory regime with a more enabling “light but tight” system. Recognizing the substantial impact of this shift, the ministry plans to keep the option open for the legislation to be referred to a parliamentary panel. This step is intended to ensure comprehensive consensus through multiple rounds of stakeholder consultations.
Previous attempts to establish HECI under the Modi and UPA governments faced parliamentary hurdles. To avoid past pitfalls, the ministry exercises caution and seeks broad-based support before presenting the bill.
Also read: Delhi University holds consultative meeting on HECI
In parallel, the ministry is planning significant reforms in school education. From the 2025 academic year, a twice-a-year board exam format will be introduced. Two models are under consideration: allowing students to opt for exams every six months or adopting a JEE-like schedule with exams in January and April. The latter model is gaining more support.
Within the next 100 days, the ministry will launch the Vidya Samiksha Kendra, a digital initiative to connect data flow from every school to a national dashboard in Delhi. This initiative aims to enhance educational oversight and data management.
All these initiatives align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommendations. The ministry is committed to accelerating the implementation of NEP recommendations during this government term. The 17th Lok Sabha’s panel on parliamentary assurances recently criticized the education ministry for its “lack of commitment and proactive approach” in pursuing the HECI proposal. In response, the ministry is intensifying its efforts to ensure timely and effective implementation of its educational reforms.
