2 min readNew DelhiFeb 12, 2026 12:43 PM IST
A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) headed by BJP MP D Purandeswari has been formed to scrutinise the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, which seeks to establish a unified regulator for higher education. The 31-member panel, comprising MPs from both Houses, will review the provisions of the legislation before submitting its report, according to a Lok Sabha Secretariat notification issued on Tuesday.
Introduced during the Winter session, the VBSA Bill aims to overhaul the regulatory framework in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It proposes replacing multiple existing regulators with a single overarching body, while separating accreditation, funding, and standard-setting functions.
The committee includes members from across the political spectrum, such as Digvijaya Singh (Congress), Sagarika Ghose (TMC), Sasmit Patra (BJD), Sanjay Kumar Jha (JD-U), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Tejasvi Surya (BJP), Anurag Singh Thakur (BJP), Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (Congress), Sougata Ray (TMC), and T.R. Baalu (DMK).
The government had earlier signalled its intent to send the bill to a joint panel for wider consultations, following opposition concerns over federalism, institutional autonomy, and centralisation of powers.
The JPC is expected to invite suggestions from state governments, academic bodies, and other stakeholders before finalising its recommendations.
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