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Pradhan assured that the Institutes of National Importance (INIs), including the IITs and IIMs, will retain their autonomy under the new framework.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. (file photo)
Responding to criticism that the Develop India Education Foundation Bill, 2025, centralizes power by giving final authority to the government, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said the sovereign authority under all laws has always been with the government.
“There is no threat to institutional autonomy and even if the opposition has some concerns or misgivings, they can be addressed by the JPC. The powers with the states will remain as they are at present,” Pradhan said at a press conference, PTI reported.
His comments addressed concerns over Section 15(3)(g) of the Bill, which mandates that the proposed Higher Education Commission “shall be bound” by the policy directions of the Central Government and in case of any disagreement, “the decision of the Government shall be final”.
At a press conference a day after introducing the bill in the Lok Sabha, Pradhan clarified that the provision does not change the existing legal framework. “This has been the case earlier also. Sovereign authority is vested in the government in every law, including the UGC. We have referred the bill to a joint parliamentary committee,” he said.
Lok Sabha passed a motion to refer the bill to a joint parliamentary committee. According to Tuesday’s proposal, the joint committee will include 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. As per ANI report, the committee is expected to submit its report by the last day of the first part of the budget session in 2026.
The Empowered India Education Foundation Bill, 2025, formerly known as the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, aims to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). For the first time, the new Act will bring Institutions of National Importance (INIs) under a single regulatory framework, as they have so far largely operated outside such oversight.
Pradhan assured that the Institutes of National Importance (INIs), including the IITs and IIMs, will retain their autonomy under the new framework. “The basic autonomy of these institutions will remain in place,” he said, while they will be required to provide some institutional data within the regulatory system. He explained that the measure aims to “set a higher bar for quality and standards” in higher education.
Regarding the Council of Architecture (CoA), Pradhan said that this body currently oversees regulatory, standard-setting and licensing functions. Under the new structure, its regulatory role will be unified, while it will continue to set professional standards and be responsible for licensing and academic standards in architectural education.
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