New Delhi, Dec. 16 -- Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday introduced "The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025" in the Lok Sabha. Approved by the cabinet on Friday, the bill- earlier called the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill-aims to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). It also seeks to regulate the establishment of higher educational institutes, imposing a fine of Rs.2 crore on those who set up universities without proper government approval. Introducing the bill, Pradhan said the legislation seeks to "facilitate the universities and other higher educational institutions to become independent self-governing institutions." Opposition MPs opposed the introduction of the bill stating that they did not get enough time to study the bill and legislation weakens state governments power. Later, Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the government is proposing to refer it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). Opposing the Bill, Congress MP Manish Tewari said it suffers from serious constitutional and structural flaws and leads to "excessive centralisation of higher education," and hence "violating the constitutional distribution of legislative powers." Opposition MPs from southern states, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu, also opposed the bill over its "sanskritised" nomenclature and alleged Hindi imposition. DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathi called the title itself "an imposition of Hindi" and termed the legislation a "colourable legislation" giving the Union government sweeping control. Congress MP S. Jothimani echoed these concerns, describing the name as "aggressive, unnecessary, sanskritised nomenclature" and calling the Bill "another way of imposing Hindi" and an "attack on the federal structure." Meanwhile, TMC MP Saugata Roy also opposed the Bill, calling out the "ineptness of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs" for circulating it "late last night" and denying MPs time to prepare. He said the Bill seeks to "centralise power in the central government's hands," subsumes the UGC's role, and gives the Centre excessive control over state universities. Rijiju said, "Many MPs have requested that this is an extensive bill and they need further deliberations on this bill. So, the government hereby proposes to send this bill to the JPC." The new higher education commission will consist of three wings--the Regulatory Council, Accreditation Council, and Standards Council. The 12-member commission will include the presidents of each council, the Union higher education secretary, two eminent academicians from state higher education institutions, five distinguished experts, and a member secretary, the bill proposes. All appointments will be made by the Centre through a three-member search panel, the bill states....