Concept Page
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, is a parliamentary act establishing a national autonomous body to oversee the implementation of the Viksit Bharat education reform agenda. It centralises funding, curriculum design, and teacher‑training standards to bridge regional disparities. For example, the bill earmarks ₹12,000 crore for a pilot digital‑learning network in 200 under‑served districts by 2027.
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, creates a single, autonomous statutory body—the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA)—to steer the nation’s flagship education‑reform agenda. By centralising funding, curriculum design, and teacher‑training standards, the Bill seeks to narrow the stark regional gaps that have persisted since the 2009 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. A hallmark provision earmarks ₹12,000 crore for a pilot Digital Learning Network across 200 under‑served districts, slated for operational launch by 2027.
Origins and Legislative Journey
The Bill rests on Article 21A of the Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory education, and translates the aspirations of the National Education Policy 2020 into law. Its legislative roots trace back to the Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog (2020) and the 2022 amendment to the RTE Act, both of which highlighted the need for a pan‑Indian coordinating mechanism. Introduced in the Lok Sabha on 12 February 2025 by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Bill underwent a 45‑day parliamentary debate, received bipartisan support, and was passed by the Lok Sabha on 3 August 2025 and the Rajya Sabha on 15 August 2025. Presidential assent was granted on 20 August 2025, bringing the Act into force on 1 September 2025.
The legislative push was catalysed by a Committee on Education Reforms chaired by Prof. S. R. Bhatnagar, which submitted a report in late 2024 warning that digital infrastructure and teacher