NDA-ruled States, including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya, are among those that have raised objections to provisions in the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, telling a parliamentary panel that the proposed legislation would centralise powers over higher education regulation.The Bill proposes a structural overhaul of higher education in the country by repealing the statutory Acts governing the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and replacing them with a single apex body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA).The Bill is currently under review by a joint parliamentary committee headed by BJP MP D. Purandeswari. The Hindu accessed submissions made to the parliamentary panel, which is in the final stages of preparing its report.Apart from State governments, Central and State universities and institutes also criticised the Bill in their submissions to the panel. They have expressed concern about the Centre’s powers under the proposed law, the absence of State representation in the regulatory structure, a lack of clarity about its scope, and worries about the transition process as the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE are wound up.Bypassing StatesSome of the strongest objections came from Andhra Pradesh, which is ruled by the Telugu Desam Party, a BJP ally. Andhra Pradesh argued that many of the provisions in the Bill could make the State’s legislative competence in higher education “a dead letter”. It has sought mandatory consultation with State governments before decisions affecting State universities are taken. The State also cautioned against Clause 11 that allows the Regulatory Council to bypass State universities in granting degrees, saying it could lead to “constitutional friction”.