As 2025 comes to an end, country's education sector has witnessed major reforms driven by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with key changes including the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, CBSE's two-tier exam system. Through Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill, the Commission is proposed to be set up as a single higher education regulator having three major roles- regulation, accreditation and setting professional standards. Funding which is seen as the fourth vertical, is not proposed to be under the regulator so far. The autonomy for funding is proposed to be with the administrative ministry.
From 2026, CBSE Class 10 exam will be held in two phases- the first phase will be held from mid-February while second exam which is optional be held in May. CBSE Class 12 exam will commence from mid-February.
Let's have a look at top education bills and laws that shape education space this year-
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill: Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill provides for the establishment of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan as an apex body, along with three Councils: the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Viniyaman Parishad (Regulatory Council), the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Gunvatta Parishad (Accreditation Council), and the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Manak Parishad (Standards Council).
The Bill further provides for repealing the University Grants Commission Act (UGC), 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act (AICTE), 1987 and the National Council for Teacher Education Act (NCTE), 1993. All higher educational institutions under the purview of the Ministry of Education, UGC, AICTE, and NCTE will be under the purview of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan for determination of standards, as mentioned in the release.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 strengthens transparency and accountability in higher education by clearly separating the functions of academic standard-setting, regulation and accreditation, ensuring objectivity and fairness at every stage. With the adoption of robust digital systems for monitoring, evaluation and compliance, processes become more efficient, data-driven and transparent.
CBSE's biannual exams: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct Class 10 exams twice a year starting in 2026. The first phase of the exam, which will be conducted in February, will be mandatory for Class 10 students, while the second phase exam, scheduled in May, will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance. The internal assessment will be conducted only once during the academic session.
Students will be allowed to improve their performance in any three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science and languages. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectively, CBSE notification mentioned.
Delhi School Education Bill (Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act 2025: Delhi School Education Bill 2025 aims to regulate the fee structure across all 1,677 private unaided and government-aided schools in the capital. In this bill, schools can not charge any fee over the prescribed limit, by any method. If any student is harassed over fees, a fine of Rs 50,000 will be imposed by the director of education.
As per the bill, each school will have a School-Level Fee Regulation Committee comprising parents, giving them direct decision-making power, as per the draft bill. The school's fee will be decided based on the location, quality of infrastructure, academic performance, and need for funds. The district and state-level committees of schools will handle appeals and ensure fairness.
IIM Amendment Bill 2025: The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to amend the IIM Act 2017 which declares IIMs as institutions of national importance and regulates their functioning.
The bill paves the way for establishing an IIM in Guwahati, Assam. The IIM Amendment Bill 2025 was passed in Lok Sabha on August 19 and Rajya Sabha on August 20.
