New Education Bill Sparks Outcry: Critics Warn of Constitutional Overreach, Centralization

• Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 aims to replace UGC, AICTE, NCTE with VBSA, centralizing higher education and enforcing NEP.
• Critics argue the Bill constitutes constitutional overreach, violating federal principles and undermining state autonomy in education.
• VBSA is granted "unbridled powers" to impose standards, issue directions, and levy hefty penalties, potentially mandating Hindi even in non-Hindi states.
• The Bill transfers UGC's financial powers to the Ministry of Education, threatening university autonomy by linking funding to compliance.
• Concerns raised over inadequate state representation in VBSA and excessive delegation of executive powers through vague provisions.

Why It Matters: Bill centralizes higher education, eroding state powers and university autonomy, sparking federalism concerns.