Higher Education Commission of India proposal – UGC NET Question

The Higher Education Commission of India is proposed in NEP 2020 as a single umbrella institution to regulate higher education, excluding legal and medical education. It is envisaged to have verticals for regulation, accreditation, funding and academic standards. The stem mentions a single overarching body for higher education regulation, which corresponds directly to the proposed HECI. Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.

Option A:
HECI is intended to replace or subsume multiple existing regulatory bodies for general higher education, reducing fragmentation and overlap. Its creation is expected to streamline norms and improve transparency in the regulatory environment. These features align closely with the description given in the question.

Option B:
The National Testing Agency is responsible for conducting entrance examinations for various higher and professional education programmes. It does not regulate institutions or set broad higher education policy, so this option is not appropriate.

Option C:
A Central Education Service would refer to a cadre of educational administrators or officers, not a regulatory commission for institutions. Therefore, this option does not fit the stem.

Option D:
The National Council of Universities is not a formal body described in NEP 2020 and does not capture the regulatory, standard-setting and funding roles associated with HECI. Thus, this option is incorrect.