VBSA Bill: Purandeshwari heads Joint Panel, Deadline Extended

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appointed MP D. Purandeshwari to chair a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee. The committee will examine the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill. This bill proposes changes to higher education regulation in India.

VBSA Bill Committee Formed

The Joint Parliamentary Committee includes 21 members from the Lok Sabha. It also has 10 members from the Rajya Sabha. The committee was officially constituted on Tuesday. Its main task is to review the VBSA Bill.

Report Deadline Extended

MP D. Purandeshwari moved a resolution. This resolution sought an extension for the committee’s report. The report’s presentation is now due by the first day of the last week of the Monsoon session. The House approved this extension by a voice vote.

Another motion was adopted. This motion extends the deadline for the select committee’s report on the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025. That report is due by March 13.

About the VBSA Bill

The VBSA Bill aims to create a single regulatory body for higher education. Currently, India has multiple regulators. These include the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

India has approximately 60,000 higher education institutions. It also has around 1,200 universities operating under these existing bodies.

Joint Committee Members

The Joint Committee on the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 comprises members from both houses of Parliament.