In a development leading to the establishment of the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), a committee has been set up to prepare a roadmap for University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to work together as a single regulatory entity.
The committee, set up by UGC chairperson Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, will identify areas where the two bodies can work together towards drawing up policies and regulations. Members of the panel include vice-chairpersons of UGC and AICTE, as well as the UGC secretary and AICTE member-secretary.
“The development of a joint working strategy is in many ways the harbinger of the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI). After all, regulations on higher education affect students pursuing general as well as technical degrees or courses,” said Prof Kumar.
“The committee has been entrusted with identifying areas where the two regulators can work together,” said Kumar. “A separate set of sub-committees, comprising officials of the two regulators, will work on those areas. The idea is to prepare the system to adapt to a situation where HECI will be the overarching body of higher education.”