According to a top government official, the Higher Education Commission has decided to replace autonomous bodies like University Grants Commission (UGC) and All Indian Council for Technical Education (AICTE), by the next academic year. The recently approved education policy by the Union Cabinet, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has recently recommended setting up of the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a single overarching umbrella body for higher education, excluding medical and legal education.

Issuing a statement concerning the situation, the Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare said “You will see some of the major changes in 2021 itself. If I could list out, for example, the common admission test for entrance to all central universities that are coming in 2021, the Academic Bank of Credit through which one can transfer credits from one university to another, that is also 2021.”

As per the regulatory changes planned for the next academic year, bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) will get merged. While speaking at a virtual conference organised by FICCI, Amit Khare said, “And in the next academic session, we will be having one single Higher Education Commission of India.”

Khare also spoke about the National Research Fund, which is mentioned in the National Education Policy, and how it will promote research across the country. “All universities, be it private, state, or Central, they can have competitive funding. It's like the National Science Foundation of the USA. Some addition that we have added, social science also will be the part of National Research Fund," he said, as per PTI reports.

At a virtual conference organized by the FICCI, Amit Khare, the Higher Education Secretary said that the country will witness some major changes in 2021 itself. A common entrance test for admission to all the central Universities will be reintroduced in 2021. Also, Academic Bank of Credit will become the primary source through which the students can transfer credits from one University to another.

Speaking of regulatory changes planned in 2021, he included that bodies like the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will get merged.