The reviews on the mushrooming coaching centres, the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the education system, and key school-level policies such as the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and issues related to school closures, are among the topics to be reviewed by the parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports for 2025–26.
The panel will also assess the ministry of education’s efforts to establish the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) and review the roles of the Higher Education Funding Authority (HEFA) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) in providing financial support to higher education institutions, according to a Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on November 11.
The 31-members panel led by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh has selected 28 subjects of the education ministry for review including 14 subjects each related to department of school education and literacy (DoSEL) and Department of Higher Education (DoHE).
According to the bulletin, the panel will review major school-sector schemes, including SSA, PM POSHAN (mid-day meal), and assess the “feasibility of expanding” Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) along with the performance of “PM-SHRI” schools.
It will examine the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in school education, the utilisation of Union grants, and efforts to strengthen “continuous assessment” at school and board levels.
The committee will also study guidelines for recognising private schools, inclusion measures for Children with Disabilities (CwD), and progress toward universalising early childhood education. Policies on “school closures”, access to libraries, reforms needed in the RTE Act, 2009, and the functioning of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will be evaluated, covering areas such as curriculum development, textbook revision, teacher training, and institutional autonomy.
The panel will also review subjects related to higher education including the “proliferation of coaching centres”, the “integration of vocational education”, and support for “mental health” in higher education, along with progress on “NEP 2020” and promotion of “Indian languages” and “Gandhian values”.
The panel will assess functioning of centrally funded institutions, implementation of reservations for reserved categories, financial roles of “HEFA” and “UGC” in higher education and impact of AI on students’ education. It will also review the ministry’s efforts to create HECI.