IITs, IIMs, NITs & IISERs Likely To Be Under Higher Education Commission Of India,

Central government is mulling to bring institute of national importance including IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs under Higher Education Commission of India. The step was also a part of Centre’s National Education Policy 2020. As reported by Indian Express, education ministry is deliberating on different provisions and powers of Higher Education Commission of India.

The Higher Education Commission of India is proposed to be a single higher education regulator in the country. Centre is finding ways to bring institute of national importance and central universities within its jurisdiction. If implemented, the move has the potential to restrict the autonomy of institutes especially IIMs since the passage of the IIM Act.

At the moment, neither the University Grants Commission nor the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have any authority over central universities (CUs) or Indian National Institutes (INIs), which are governed by their respective Acts of Parliament. The IITs, IIMs, and NITs deal with the ministry directly on financial problems, whilst the central institutions continue to depend on the UGC for the release of their budgetary funding.

There are currently 160 INIs, including AIIMS, IITs, NITs, and IIMs. These institutions are able to confer degrees, hold their own examinations, and receive government money. They are also administered by their own senates or boards of governors, but the government does participate to some extent. The report by Indian Express quoted a principal from the IIM “The possibility of bringing all technical education institutions within HECI’s control was broached during a presentation made by the then AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe in December 2021. However, in the first few months of 2022, a few IIM directors collectively wrote a letter to the ministry opposing the idea.”

One of the major policy change in the higher education through the new National Education Policy was introduction of Higher Education Commission of India. In fact, the Higher Education Council of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill was introduced by the NDA administration in January 2018. The NEP, 2020, was announced within two years, but it was never finalised.

Read all the Latest Education News here