49  Policies, Governance and Administration

Indian higher education is governed by a multi-layered system of policies, regulators, and institutional structures. The candidate is expected to recognise the major bodies, their roles, and the recent reforms — particularly NEP 2020.

49.1 Central and State Roles

Education is in the Concurrent List (since the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, 1976) — both Centre and States can legislate on it. The Ministry of Education at the Centre and State Education Departments at the State level share responsibility.

TipHigher Education Departments
  • Department of Higher Education (under Ministry of Education).
  • Department of School Education and Literacy (under Ministry of Education).
  • State Higher Education Departments.
  • State Higher Education Councils (SHECs) — coordinate at state level under RUSA.

49.2 Major Policies and Their Years

TipIndian Education Policies — Chronology
Year Policy Key feature
1968 National Policy on Education (Indira Gandhi) Based on Kothari Commission; 10+2+3 structure; three-language formula
1986 National Policy on Education (Rajiv Gandhi) Operation Blackboard; Navodaya Vidyalayas; IGNOU; women’s emphasis
1992 NPE 1986 — Programme of Action Operationalised the 1986 policy
2009 Right to Education Act Free and compulsory education for ages 6-14 (Article 21A)
2020 National Education Policy 2020 Replaces NPE 1986; 5+3+3+4 school structure; multidisciplinary higher education

49.3 NEP 2020 — Higher Education Highlights

TipHigher Education Reforms in NEP 2020
  • Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) — proposed single regulator to replace UGC, AICTE, NCTE; with four verticals: Standards (NHERC), Funding (HEGC), Accreditation (NAC), Regulation (GEC).
  • Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs) — at par with IITs, IIMs.
  • Multiple entry and exit — certificate (1 year), diploma (2 years), bachelor’s (3 years), bachelor’s with research (4 years).
  • Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) — digital credit storage and transferability.
  • Common entrance exams — for university admission (CUET — Common University Entrance Test).
  • Phasing out of M.Phil. — replaced by direct PhD.
  • GER target of 50 % by 2035.
  • Mother tongue / regional language as medium at least until Grade 5.
  • National Educational Technology Forum (NETF).
  • National Research Foundation (NRF) — fund and coordinate research.
  • Internationalisation — top foreign universities to operate in India.

49.4 Major Indian Higher Education Bodies

TipIndian Higher Education Bodies and Their Mandates
Body Established Function
UGC 1953 (Act 1956) Funds and regulates universities
AICTE 1945 (statutory 1987) Regulates technical education
NCTE 1995 Regulates teacher education
NCERT 1961 Curriculum and pedagogy for school education
NCVET 2018 National Council for Vocational Education and Training
NMC 2020 (replaces MCI) Medical education
BCI 1961 Legal education
DCI 1948 Dental education
PCI 1948 Pharmacy
VCI 1984 Veterinary
NCI 1947 (statutory 1959) Nursing
CoA 1972 Architecture
NAAC 1994 Accreditation of universities and colleges
NBA 1987 Accreditation of technical institutions
NIRF 2015 Annual ranking framework
NTA 2017 Conducts entrance exams (NET, CUET, JEE Main, NEET)
AIU 1925 Association of Indian Universities — coordination
HEFA 2017 Higher Education Financing Agency

49.5 NAAC and NIRF — Quality Assurance and Ranking

TipNAAC vs NIRF
  • NAAC — accreditation; assigns grades (A++ to D) and CGPA-style scores; valid for 5 years; based on 7 criteria including curricular aspects, teaching-learning, research, infrastructure, student support, governance, institutional values.
  • NIRF — ranking; annual ordinal ranks based on Teaching, Research, Outreach, Perception, Inclusivity. Released each year by Ministry of Education.

49.6 RUSA and PM-USHA — Funding the State Sector

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) — launched 2013 — is a centrally-sponsored scheme that provides matching funding to State universities and colleges. PM-USHA (2023) is the revamped successor scheme.

49.7 Right to Education Act, 2009

TipRTE Act, 2009 — Highlights
  • Implements Article 21A (added by 86th Constitutional Amendment, 2002).
  • Free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 in a neighbourhood school.
  • No detention up to Class 8 (later relaxed by 2019 amendment).
  • 25 % reservation in private unaided schools for economically weaker sections.
  • Norms for pupil-teacher ratio, infrastructure, and qualifications.
  • Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE).

49.8 Internationalisation of Higher Education

TipInternationalisation Policies
  • Study in India — Government of India initiative to attract foreign students.
  • GIAN (Global Initiative of Academic Networks) — visiting foreign faculty.
  • SPARC — Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration.
  • Foreign University Campus rules (UGC, 2023) — top foreign universities permitted to set up campuses in India.
  • Indian institutions abroad — IIT Madras Zanzibar (2023), IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi (2024).

49.9 Affirmative Action and Social Justice

TipReservation in Higher Education
  • 15 % for Scheduled Castes (SC).
  • 7.5 % for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
  • 27 % for Other Backward Classes (OBC) — central institutions.
  • 10 % for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) — added by 103rd Constitutional Amendment, 2019.
  • 5 % for Persons with Disabilities (under RPwD Act, 2016).
  • Some states have additional reservation under state laws.

49.10 Constitutional Provisions for Education

TipConstitutional Articles
  • Article 21A — Right to free and compulsory education (added 86th Amendment, 2002).
  • Article 28 — Freedom of religious instruction in educational institutions.
  • Article 29 — Cultural and educational rights of minorities.
  • Article 30 — Right of minorities to establish educational institutions.
  • Article 41 — DPSP — right to education.
  • Article 45 — DPSP — early childhood care and education for children below 6.
  • Article 46 — DPSP — promote education of weaker sections.
  • Article 51A(k) — Fundamental Duty — parents to provide education to children aged 6-14.

49.11 Practice Questions

Q 01 Concurrent List Medium

Education was placed in the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution by which Amendment?

  • A42nd (1976)
  • B44th (1978)
  • C73rd (1992)
  • D86th (2002)
View solution
Correct Option: A
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976) shifted Education from the State List to the Concurrent List.
Q 02 Article 21A Medium

Article 21A — the Right to Education — was added to the Constitution by:

  • A42nd Amendment (1976)
  • B73rd Amendment (1992)
  • C86th Amendment (2002)
  • D103rd Amendment (2019)
View solution
Correct Option: C
The 86th Amendment (2002) added Article 21A — Right to Education for ages 6 to 14, implemented by the RTE Act 2009.
Q 03 HECI Medium

Under NEP 2020, the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) is to replace:

  • AUGC, AICTE and NCTE
  • BNAAC, NBA and NIRF
  • CNCERT and NCTE
  • DCSIR and ICMR
View solution
Correct Option: A
HECI is proposed to replace UGC, AICTE and NCTE with four verticals: NHERC (standards), HEGC (funding), NAC (accreditation), GEC (regulation).
Q 04 RTE Easy

The Right to Education (RTE) Act guarantees free and compulsory education to children of which age group?

  • A3 to 14 years
  • B6 to 14 years
  • C5 to 18 years
  • D6 to 16 years
View solution
Correct Option: B
RTE Act 2009: free and compulsory education for ages 6 to 14 years.
Q 05 EWS Reservation Medium

The 10 % reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in education and government jobs was introduced by:

  • A86th Constitutional Amendment
  • B93rd Constitutional Amendment
  • C103rd Constitutional Amendment (2019)
  • D104th Constitutional Amendment
View solution
Correct Option: C
The 103rd Constitutional Amendment, 2019 introduced 10 % reservation for EWS.
Q 06 CUET Medium

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is conducted by:

  • AUGC
  • BAICTE
  • CNTA (National Testing Agency)
  • DCBSE
View solution
Correct Option: C
CUET is conducted by the NTA (National Testing Agency, established 2017).
Q 07 NMC Medium

The National Medical Commission (NMC) replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI) in:

  • A2010
  • B2015
  • C2020
  • D2022
View solution
Correct Option: C
The NMC was constituted in 2020 under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019; it replaced the MCI.
Q 08 NRF Hard

The National Research Foundation (NRF), proposed in NEP 2020, is intended to:

  • AReplace UGC and AICTE
  • BFund and coordinate research across all disciplines and institutions
  • CConduct entrance examinations
  • DTrain school teachers
View solution
Correct Option: B
The NRF is intended to fund and coordinate research across all disciplines and institutions, increasing total research funding in India. It was formally established by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023.
ImportantQuick recall
  • Education in Concurrent List since 42nd Amendment 1976.
  • Major policies: NPE 1968, NPE 1986, RTE 2009, NEP 2020.
  • NEP 2020 highlights: 5+3+3+4 structure, GER 50 % by 2035, HECI (replaces UGC/AICTE/NCTE), MERUs, multiple entry/exit, ABC, CUET, NRF, NETF.
  • Article 21A (RTE) added by 86th Amendment 2002; ages 6-14.
  • 103rd Amendment 2019: 10 % EWS reservation.
  • Reservation: 15 % SC, 7.5 % ST, 27 % OBC, 10 % EWS, 5 % PWD.
  • Regulators: UGC, AICTE, NCTE, NMC (replaced MCI 2020), BCI, NAAC, NBA, NIRF, NTA.
  • AIU (1925) — Association of Indian Universities.
  • NRF formalised by Anusandhan NRF Act 2023.