A proposed law to set up an apex higher education regulator will cripple academic freedom and democratic spirit in institutions by mandating that they follow its curriculum and teaching-research norms, a civil society body said on Tuesday.

State Platform for Common School System — Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN), a body of educationists, wrote to the chairperson of the joint parliamentary committee currently examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, suggesting that the bill stands against the autonomy of higher educational institutions.

SPCSS-TN general secretary P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu said: “The VBSA’s standard-setting council will frame regulations on what to teach, how to teach and the contours of research topics and methodology. It will push institutions to teach the Indian Knowledge System and do research on such areas. Its accreditation council will not grant accreditation to institutions not following such standards. The new law will enforce the central regulations and curtail the autonomy of institutions to decide their academic affairs.”

At present, the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and the National Council for Teacher Education are the regulatory agencies for higher, technical and teacher education, respectively. The proposed bill will subsume the UGC, AICTE and the NCTE. According to the bill, the VBSA will be a 12-member commission and will have regulatory, standard-setting and accreditation councils. All institutions will have to follow the standards, accreditation norms and regulatory norms of these councils.