UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — An alternative to Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill
Q1. With reference to the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025, consider the following:
1. It creates an apex Commission with three subordinate Councils dealing respectively with regulation, accreditation and standards.
2. It repeals the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987 and the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993.
3. Legal and medical education are brought within the purview of the new Commission.
4. The Commission and its Councils are empowered to allocate funds directly to higher educational institutions.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It creates an apex Commission with three subordinate Councils dealing respectively with regulation, accreditation and standards.
- It repeals the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987 and the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993.
- Legal and medical education are brought within the purview of the new Commission.
- The Commission and its Councils are empowered to allocate funds directly to higher educational institutions.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q2. Under the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which one of the following best describes the function assigned to the Standards Council?
- A. To determine academic standards for higher education
- B. To oversee the system of accreditation of institutions
- C. To act as the common regulator for higher education
- D. To sanction and disburse grants to universities
Q3. Central legislation enacted under Entry 66 of the Union List for coordination and determination of standards in higher education (such as the UGC Act) is administered by which one of the following Union Ministries?
- A. Ministry of Education
- B. Ministry of Home Affairs
- C. Ministry of Science and Technology
- D. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Q4. The Union List (List I) of the Seventh Schedule, which contains Entry 66 on coordination and determination of standards in higher education, originally comprised how many entries as enacted in the Constitution?
Q5. Consider the following statements about the regulatory bodies proposed to be replaced by the VBSA Bill, 2025:
1. The University Grants Commission became a statutory body under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.
2. The All India Council for Technical Education became a statutory body under the AICTE Act, 1987.
3. The National Council for Teacher Education was set up as a statutory body under an Act of 1993.
4. The AICTE regulates teacher education while the NCTE regulates technical education.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The University Grants Commission became a statutory body under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.
- The All India Council for Technical Education became a statutory body under the AICTE Act, 1987.
- The National Council for Teacher Education was set up as a statutory body under an Act of 1993.
- The AICTE regulates teacher education while the NCTE regulates technical education.
- A. 1 and 4
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q6. Under the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) proposed by NEP 2020, which one of the following verticals was envisaged to function as the single, common point of regulation for higher education?
- A. National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC)
- B. National Accreditation Council (NAC)
- C. Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC)
- D. General Education Council (GEC)
Q7. The National Education Policy, which recommended a single umbrella regulator (HECI) for higher education, was approved by which authority and in which year?
- A. The Union Cabinet, in 2020
- B. Parliament, in 2020
- C. NITI Aayog, in 2019
- D. The Union Cabinet, in 2019
Q8. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) constituted to examine a Bill, such as the one examining the VBSA Bill, 2025, is best described as which one of the following?
- A. An ad hoc committee set up for a specific purpose that is dissolved once it submits its report
- B. A permanent standing committee that always examines every Bill introduced in Parliament
- C. A committee composed exclusively of members of the Rajya Sabha
- D. A constitutional body established under Article 105 of the Constitution
Q9. Consider the following statements comparing a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with other parliamentary committees:
1. Unlike a Departmentally Related Standing Committee, a JPC is an ad hoc committee constituted for a specific matter and dissolved thereafter.
2. The conventional ratio of Lok Sabha to Rajya Sabha members in a JPC is 2:1.
3. Members of a JPC are drawn exclusively from the Lok Sabha.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike a Departmentally Related Standing Committee, a JPC is an ad hoc committee constituted for a specific matter and dissolved thereafter.
- The conventional ratio of Lok Sabha to Rajya Sabha members in a JPC is 2:1.
- Members of a JPC are drawn exclusively from the Lok Sabha.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. In the alternative to the VBSA Bill that proposes statutory representation for State Higher Education Councils (SHECs), a SHEC is best understood as which one of the following?
- A. An autonomous state-level body for planned and coordinated development of higher education within the State
- B. A statutory regulator created under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956
- C. A constitutional body specified under Entry 25 of the State List
- D. An accreditation agency operating under the National Assessment and Accreditation Council
Q11. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 - central to the federalism debate over higher education regulation - transferred how many subjects, including education, from the State List to the Concurrent List?