India’s education sector underwent significant changes and faced several controversies in 2025 . Key events included the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan (VBSA) Bill , a major bribery scandal at the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) , and significant reforms to CBSE Class 10 exams . Persistent conflicts between central and state governments also affected educational administration across the country.
VBSA Bill Proposes Single Regulator
The draft Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill 2025 seeks to replace existing higher education regulators. It aims to merge the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE into one body. The Cabinet quickly approved the bill, which is now with a joint parliamentary committee until February 2026 . Critics highlight controversial provisions: the bill separates funding from regulation, proposes a commission dominated by central appointees with no teacher representation, and makes the chairman’s post honorary, removing independence requirements.
UGC Alters Teacher Rules
The UGC introduced new draft regulations for academic staff recruitment in early 2025. These rules affected assistant professors and Vice-Chancellors. The draft included “notable contributions” outside teaching for promotions and eliminated the “academic performance indicator” system. Crucially, the cap on hiring contract teachers was removed. Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi took additional charge as UGC chairman, leading to a slower pace of new regulation development.
NAAC Bribery Scandal
The NAAC faced a major scandal in February 2025 . The CBI arrested ten individuals, including NAAC inspection committee members, for allegedly seeking bribes from a private university in Andhra Pradesh for higher grades. This bribery case halted NAAC’s accreditation process for months. NAAC responded by changing rules for inspection committees, but broader reforms like a binary accreditation system remain unimplemented. Grades under the old format continued to be announced in December .
State-Centre Education Conflicts
Union-state disputes impacted education. The Centre withheld Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funds from states over the PM SHRI scheme; Tamil Nadu secured funds via court. Kerala paused PM SHRI. Court cases over Vice-Chancellor (VC) appointments continued. Tamil Nadu had 10 education bills pending with Governor RN Ravi. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu developed their own policies, rejecting NEP 2020.
Private and Foreign University Growth
Haryana amended its Private Universities Act, increasing state control after Al Falah University’s link to the Red Fort Blast in November . This allows state takeover or ₹1 crore fines for “anti-national activities.” The Ministry of Education issued letters of intent to over a dozen foreign universities, mostly Australian/UK, for Indian campuses. The first two foreign campuses in Gujarat’s GIFT City admitted only 60 students . IIM Ahmedabad opened its first overseas campus in Dubai in September with 35 students .
CBSE and School Exam Reforms
The CBSE announced two attempts for Class 10 board exams starting 2026 . Several state boards adopted similar reforms, including West Bengal’s semester-wise board exams. Parakh, NCERT’s assessment body, released results from its Parakh Rashtriya Sarvekshan and promotes state board assessment reforms. Delhi passed a law regulating private school fees, but its effectiveness is questioned.
NEP 2020: Five-Year Assessment
Five years post-launch, NEP 2020 showed varied implementation. Monitoring, deregulation, and digitalization advanced quicker than academic reforms. Flexibility promises were hampered by infrastructure and staff shortages, leading to poor course quality. Delhi University’s Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) caused disruption, with December semester exams delayed for over 35 papers . The VBSA Bill limits its regulatory scope. The Bar Council of India (BCI) imposed a three-year ban on new law schools due to “sub-standard institutions.”
Allied Health Sector Regulation
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) began regulating allied health sciences. NCAHP prescribed new curriculum standards and banned distance education for several disciplines, impacting psychology students. NCAHP mandated NEET UG as the main admission criterion for many allied health programs, starting in 2026 . This aims to combat fraudulent courses. Policy decisions in 2025 faced criticism; 2026 will reveal their full impact.