Congress opposes VBSA Bill
Analysis based on 7 articles · First reported Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026
The VBSA Bill, if passed, could centralize higher education regulation in India, potentially reducing the autonomy of premier institutions and shifting grant powers to the Ministry of Education. This may affect the operational independence and funding of institutions like IITs and IIMs, but the immediate market impact is limited as the bill is still under review.
The India — Indian National Congress, led by Jairam Ramesh, has condemned the proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, calling it a 'Very Bad Shiksha Act' that violates the federal structure of the Constitution and threatens university autonomy. Ramesh urged NDA-ruled states, particularly India — Andhra Pradesh and its Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, to oppose the bill during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament starting July 20. He argued that the bill exceeds Parliament's powers under Entry 66 of the Union List, encroaches on state powers, centralizes grant-giving by removing the independent grants council envisioned in NEP 2020, and could compromise the autonomy of Institutes of National Importance like IITs and IIMs. Ramesh also claimed the bill dilutes the consultative role of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the India — All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The bill is currently being scrutinized by a parliamentary committee.
Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.
Open Dashboard