CHANDIGARH, June 22 — Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has formally communicated his opposition to the proposed ‘Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhiniyam Bill, 2025’ in a detailed letter addressed to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The state administration declared that the central legislation, in its current form, threatens to alter the higher education framework by consolidating policy-making, standards, and regulatory mechanisms in Delhi, thereby diminishing the administrative role of individual states.
The communication observed that because education falls under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, state governments must retain the operational independence to tailor academic systems according to regional realities. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann maintained that different regions face distinct socio-economic conditions, ranging from skill development requirements to local industrial demands, which are best addressed through decentralized planning by state-run universities and colleges.
The government asserted that the primary focus of national academic policy should be collaborative governance rather than a unilateral expansion of federal regulatory control. The state administration cautioned that shifting critical decision-making powers away from the states could disrupt the constitutional balance and make institutional management less responsive to local student communities.
“If most educational decisions are taken by institutions sitting in Delhi, states will gradually lose their ability to understand local realities and design solutions accordingly,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stated. “As a result, higher education risks becoming centralised and losing its practical relevance.”
Drawing comparisons to other centralized academic bodies, the Chief Minister pointed out that federal entities have frequently encountered transparency and operational difficulties in examination management. The administration declared that the nation’s progress depends on expanding institutional resources and university infrastructure rather than adding restrictive layers of federal oversight.
“Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution. Therefore, while minimum national standards may be desirable, states must retain the freedom to develop systems according to their own circumstances and needs,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann declared. “Unfortunately, this Bill appears to disturb that constitutional balance.”
