UGC-AICTE to be replaced with one higher education regulator

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Indian education sector is all set to undergo a major overhaul since the Modi government has decided to scrap both the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and come up with a higher education regulator.
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The regulator would most probably be called Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA).

Experts have been suggesting this change for a long time now, but the decision was taken only recently, during a meeting on education chaired by the Prime Minister in early March.

Since the set up of a new regulator might take some time, existing rules might be amended and the changes will be considered as an interim reform measure.

Both the Human Resource Development ministry and government think-tank Niti Aayog are working on the new law to bring HEERA into action.

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As per a senior official aware of the developments, replacing UGC and AICTE by a single regulator will be the cleanest and most sweeping reform to eliminate all current overlaps in jurisdiction, which would also eradicate irrelevant regulatory provisions.

As per officials that ET talked to, the new regulatory legislation would be short and clean and will outline minimum standards focused on outcomes. They also said that globally, the trend of separating technical and non-technical education has faded, and the single regulator would keep the change in mind.

(Image source YouthFunda)
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