Modi's HEERA to replace UGC, AICTE: All you need to know

Currently work is on to frame the HEERA legislation. A detailed blue-print will be prepared.

It will be called HEERA or Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency. HEERA will replace both UGC and AICTE soon. In early March the Prime Minister had chaired a meeting on education following which the decision was taken. Several experts had advocated a similar idea, but the same was never implemented.

Currently work is on to frame the HEERA legislation. A detailed blue-print will be prepared following which the legislation would come into force. Officials have termed replacing UGC and AICTE as one of the cleanest, most sweeping reform.

What is HEERA, how does it work and when will it replace UGC and AICTE. Find out here:

What is HEERA

University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) which are the education watchgods will be replaced by Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA). The new regulatory legislation will be short and clean and would also outline minimum standards which would focus on outcomes. Further a single regulator will bring in greater synergy among institutions and would also help in framing better curricula. Moreover the separation of technical and non-technical education is out of sync.

The new body would be empowered to take strong penal action and this would end the inspector raj and harassment that the UGC regime has been accused of.

What will it do

Currently work is on to frame the HEERA legislation. A detailed blue-print will be prepared following which the legislation would come into force. Officials have termed replacing UGC and AICTE as one of the cleanest, most sweeping reform. It aims are bringing in radical change in the education sector.

Who is working on it

Currently work is going on for the new law to be implemented. The Human Resources Development Ministry and the Niti Aayog are working on it. Several committees including had recommended the setting up of HEERA. It was suggested during the UPA era. However the reform never took place.

What is HEERA's objective

HEERA would be a single regulator. Scrapping UGC and AICTE would mean the elimination of overlaps in the jurisdiction. It would also do away the regulatory provisions which are irrelevant. HEERA is aimed to put an end to the inspector raj and harassment that the UGC regime is associated with. The new body will also be empowered to take strong penal action when necessary.

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