Parliamentary panel cautions against excessive centralisation in proposed HECI

The panel reiterated its recommendation to set up a simplified hierarchy of regulatory bodies which will have a final say in implementation of government rules

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary committee on Tuesday reiterated its concern at a plan to set up an overarching Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as the principal regulator of higher education in India, warning that this would lead to excessive centralisation and inadequate representation of states.

According to the government, once HECI is established, all other regulatory bodies, including UGC and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will be merged with it (FILE PHOTO)

In a report tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth, and sports, led by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh said multiplicity of regulators led to inconsistency in standards and monitoring, making it difficult for institutions to function effectively.

“Moreover, state universities, which educate over 90 per cent of the student population, are caught in between national and state-level regulations. The draft Higher Education Commission of India Bill (HECI) (which seeks to replace UGC as a single regulator) appears to perpetuate many of these same issues by maintaining a Central Government- heavy composition and insufficient state representation,” the committee said in its action-taken report to Parliament.

The government told the committee that a draft HECI Bill had been prepared by the ministry and the matter was being considered by the ministry of education in consultation with stakeholders.

“The proposed HECI Bill will hold significant power, including the ability to grant degree-awarding authority and close institutions failing to meet standards. This removes state control and could lead to the closure of institutions in rural areas that suffer from infrastructure or faculty shortages. It would indirectly fuel privatization, especially in rural areas,” the panel said, reiterating its recommendation for a simplified hierarchy of regulatory bodies.

It also underlined that “any such unified regulatory body must have adequate representation for all states and there should not be excess centralization.”