New Delhi: The Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011 was tabled in the Rajya Sabha the government seeks to establish the National Commission on Higher Education and Research (NCHER) as an overarching regulatory body for university education including professional, medical, vocational and technical education.

The existing regulatory bodies comprising the All India Council for Technical Education and the University Grants Commission would gradually be abolished. The services of employees and officers of the existing regulators would be protected, while no provision has been made for saving the jobs of chairperson or members of UGC.

The bill proposes to encourage autonomy of higher education and innovation, keeping in minds the global standards of education and research practices.

The NCHER will facilitate coordination, maintenance, determination and consistent improvement in standards of higher education and research other than matters concerned with minimum standard of medical education and agricultural education. These are under the preview of proposed National Commission on Human Resources in Health (NCHRH).

The commission for NCHRH Bill, 2011 will frame regulations and promote autonomy for institutional accountability as well as encourage joint and cross-disciplinary programmes among institutions of higher education.

The legislative proposals permit the establishment of a General Council, which is proposed to be a representative body with recommendatory and advisory functions, besides having the powers to approve the regulations framed by the commission.

The existing regulators had no participation from the States and the NCHER draft was revised to ensure representation of States in the General Council. Under the new bill, states have also been exempted from asking prior approval of the NCHER before setting up new universities.

The new bill also includes provisions for the establishment of a Higher Education Financial Services Corporation for disbursing grants to higher educational institutions and universities.