The teachers’ wing of the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill would centralise control of universities and dilute existing governance structures.

The Academic for Action and Development Delhi Teachers’ Association (AADTA) said the bill, listed for introduction in the Winter Session of Parliament, would repeal the UGC Act, 1956 and advance the National Education Policy’s model of separating regulation from funding. The association said this would leave institutions dependent on market forces.

AADTA said the bill goes beyond the NEP’s plan for an umbrella regulator and questioned the pace of policy implementation, alleging lack of consultation with students, teachers and academics. It also said the draft bill has not been released publicly.

According to the association, the proposed framework would replace bodies such as Executive Councils and Academic Councils with Boards of Governors appointed rather than elected, reducing institutional accountability. It also said past drafts allowing HECI to override central and state laws could impose a uniform governance structure and limit state-level authority.

The group raised concerns about accreditation-linked funding, noting that only accredited institutions may be eligible for central funds within five years. It said this could affect institutions in resource-poor regions and warned that linking funding to Institutional Development Plans may disadvantage disciplines with outcomes that are difficult to measure.

AADTA said the proposed mechanisms would consolidate regulatory power and constrain institutional diversity. It urged the education ministry to release the bill for wider discussion.

The HECI Bill seeks to establish a single higher education regulator to replace the UGC, AICTE and NCTE, while keeping medical and legal education outside its scope.

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