The proposed commission will have fewer academics and more bureaucrats as members compared with the University Grants Commission (UGC) that it seeks to replace, and will hand over funding powers entirely to the government. The VBSA Bill is being examined by a joint parliamentary committee. Former UGC secretary and academic R.K. Chauhan said: “The VBSA Bill says the proposed commission will consult the government on every issue. Under the VBSA Bill, the government has greater representation and greater power to control,” Sanjay Bohidar, a professor at Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, said. Rajesh Jha, a faculty member at Rajdhani College in Delhi, said the UGC member-secretary is appointed by the regulator from among academics, but the proposed commission and councils would have bureaucrats as member-secretaries.

Source: The Telegraph December 29, 2025 02:02 UTC