Parliament Question: Reforms to Strengthen Regulatory Oversight and Governance of HEIs

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 5042 ANSWERED ON- 23/03/2026 Reforms to Strengthen Regulatory Oversight and Governance of HEIs 5042 Smt. Shambhavi: Dr. Lata Wankhede: Shri Rajesh Verma: Dr. D. Purandeswari: Shri Arun Bharti: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has undertaken reforms to strengthen regulatory oversight and governance of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), particularly in the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh; (b) if so, the details of steps taken to modernise the institutional framework governing higher education, including restructuring or replacement of existing regulatory bodies, if not, the reasons therefor; (c) whether the Government has taken any measures to review and regulate academic content to ensure accuracy, quality and compliance with national standards, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (d) the initiatives undertaken by the Government to promote technology-enabled and AI- driven learning in educational institutions, particularly in Parliamentary Constituencies of Samastipur, Sagar, Khagaria, Rajahmundry and Jamui; and (e) the expected impact of these measures on quality, accessibility and global competitiveness of India’s education system? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (c): The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha on 15.12.2025 for establishment of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan along- with the three Councils duly subsuming the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The Bill has been referred to the Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament. (d) & (e): In alignment with the vision of NEP 2020, several steps have been taken by the Government, with an aim to equip students with AI related skills. With an objective of improving accessibility to AI knowledge and Skills, the Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) online platform of the Ministry of Education has deliveredover 130 free AI-related courses, curated by premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) among others. More than 50 lakh learners have enrolled in these courses. To promote Al in technical education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has added Al-related subjects to IT programs. Special Al courses are designed for non-computer science branches like Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineering to integrate AI applications in their fields. In 2021, AICTE prepared a model curriculum for Al and Data Science. To help faculty keep up with new technologies, AICTE is also running Faculty Development Programmes in Al and other emerging fields. The Capacity Building Program on Artificial Intelligence (CBAI), implemented under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Program of the Ministry of Education promotes the integration of AI and other emerging technologies in education. The program is designed for faculty and academic leaders to strengthen their competencies towards developing AI- Driven Education tools and prompting research in AI to improve teaching methodologies. A Centre of Excellence (CoE) for AI in Education was announced in Union Budget 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs. 500 Cr which has been established at IIT Madras. The CoE is envisaged to drive innovation, research, and development in AI-enabled educational tools, to support expanding access to quality education across the country. *****