NEW DELHI: Cabinet on Friday cleared the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, paving the way for a major overhaul of higher education regulation and giving legislative shape to a key commitment of NE.The proposed law seeks to establish a single overarching authority for higher education, replacing legacy regulators such as UGC, AICTE and NCTE. Medical and legal education will remain outside its ambit, it is learned. The proposed legislation, earlier referred to as Higher Education Commission of India Bill, has now been given Viksit Bharat branding. Officials said the new framework “is aimed at simplifying governance, reducing regulatory overlap and shifting focus of oversight away from compliance-driven controls towards academic quality and learning outcomes across public and private institutions”.Under the proposed law, regulation, accreditation, academic standard-setting and funding will be handled through distinct verticals. While the new authority will frame norms, quality benchmarks and institutional oversight mechanisms, disbursal of public funds will continue to rest with the administrative ministry. “The separation is intended to prevent co-nflict of interest, reduce micromanagement and create a more transparent regulatory architecture,” said an official.“A unified regulator could bring coherence to academic standards and allow universities greater freedom to innovate in pedagogy and research, while remaining accountable for outcomes,” said Vinay Pathak, vice-chancellor, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University.Emphasis on accreditation and learning outcomes is seen as aligned with global best practices. By ring-fencing funding from regulatory decision-making, govt aims to create a system where quality assurance is insulated from financial considerations.Policy analysts note the effectiveness of the reform will depend heavily on implementation. Issues related to institutional autonomy, federal balance and transition from regulators are expected to figure prominently when the bill is taken up in Parliament.