India, Dec. 13 -- The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a bill to create a single regulator for higher education, replacing the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), people familiar with the matter said.

The proposed legislation, earlier called the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been renamed the 'Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill,' they said.

"The Bill is designed to simplify governance, eliminate overlapping regulations, and shift oversight from compliance-heavy procedures to a stronger emphasis on academic quality and learning outcomes in higher education institutions," the people said.

Currently, U...