Federalism in Higher Education: Centre-State Tensions Over NEP 2020 Implementation

The Hindu - Opinion · 11 Jun 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Polity and constitution High relevance

Higher education governance in India has become a focal point for federal tensions, particularly with the implementation of NEP 2020, highlighting conflicts over regulatory authority, funding, and curriculum between the Centre and States.

Key points

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has intensified Centre-State tensions, with States like Tamil Nadu opposing its three-language formula and UGC directives, reflecting broader federalism debates.

Concurrent List (Entry 25) places education under shared legislative authority, but recent trends show increasing centralization through bodies like UGC and Ministry of Education.

Governor's role in V-C appointments has sparked disputes in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and West Bengal, testing constitutional boundaries of State autonomy in higher education.

[GS2-Governance] Central funding mechanisms like Institutions of Eminence and Anusandhan National Research Foundation tie financial support to compliance with national agendas, reducing State flexibility.

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 proposes replacing UGC, raising concerns about further erosion of State authority in higher education regulation.

[GS3-Economy] Digital governance tools like Academic Bank of Credits enable Centre to standardize higher education across States, impacting regional linguistic and curricular diversity.

States with strong regional identities view NEP reforms as constitutional questions on power distribution, not just administrative changes, linking to GS2 federalism debates.

Strategic adaptation by States like Kerala shows negotiated federalism, where international branch campuses are implemented with local adjustments despite central frameworks.

Way Forward: India should establish a federal higher education council with equal State representation, decentralize funding approval mechanisms, and introduce flexibility in NEP implementation to respect regional diversity while maintaining national standards.

Key terms

Concurrent List (Entry 25)

The Seventh Schedule's Concurrent List (Article 246) allows both Parliament and State Legislatures to legislate on education. For UPSC, this creates ongoing tension between national standardization (through bodies like UGC) and regional autonomy, exemplified by NEP 2020 implementation disputes.

Institutions of Eminence

A 2017 MHRD scheme granting autonomy and funding to 20 select universities (10 public, 10 private) to achieve global rankings. Relevant for UPSC as it exemplifies how central funding instruments (like ₹1,000 crore grants) incentivize compliance with national education priorities.

Academic Bank of Credits

A NEP 2020 digital system allowing credit accumulation/transfer across institutions under UGC. Significant for UPSC as it enables central monitoring of academic mobility while raising federalism questions about standardization versus regional adaptation.

Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill

Proposed 2025 legislation to replace UGC, AICTE, and NCTE with four new regulatory bodies. Crucial for UPSC as it may further centralize higher education governance, potentially violating the spirit of cooperative federalism in Concurrent List subjects.