End of UGC, two board exams and global campuses: How education in India changed in 2025

The year 2025 marked a watershed moment for India’s education sector. Changes were driven by sweeping policy reforms, technological integration, and a strong push toward internationalising Indian higher education through approvals for foreign university campuses in the country. Also notable was the setting up of IIT and IIM campuses abroad.

However, the most significant development was the Union Cabinet’s approval of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan (VBSA) Bill, 2025, rechristened from the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, which seeks to replace multiple regulatory bodies with a unified authority.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also introduced twice-a-year board examinations for Class 10 students, while the University Grants Commission (UGC) greenlit seventeen foreign universities to establish campuses across India.

Against this backdrop of reform, the sector confronted persistent challenges around student mental health, coaching centre culture, and examination stress.

The most significant development came towards the end of the year, when the Union Cabinet approved the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, rechristened as the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan (VBSA) Bill, 2025. The proposed legislation is set to replace three key regulatory bodies — the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), with a single overarching authority.

While the Bill aims to streamline regulation, accreditation, and academic standards across higher education institutions, however, the proposed council will not have the power to allocate grants, a function that will remain with the government. The Bill also introduces stronger penalties for non-compliance.

Examination reform remained a central theme across school and higher education. The CBSE formally introduced its twice-a-year board examination model, beginning with Class 10, allowing students multiple attempts to improve scores.

This was accompanied by proposals to introduce open-book assessments in two board exams from 2026, aimed at testing conceptual understanding rather than rote memorisation.

The entrance examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) underwent a major overhaul in 2025 following recommendations from the Radhakrishnan Committee, which was established after a series of alleged paper leaks in 2024.

The reforms aimed to restore credibility to competitive examinations like NEET and JEE, which serve as gateways to medical and engineering colleges for millions of students.

The overhaul included enhanced security protocols, revised question paper distribution mechanisms, and stricter oversight of examination centers. However, exam stress remained a critical concern.

Mounting concerns over student stress, particularly in competitive exam ecosystems, prompted a parliamentary panel to announce a review of the rapidly expanding coaching centre industry. The panel said it would examine the pressure-cooker culture around exams such as JEE, NEET, UPSC, and other national-level tests, as well as the growing role of technology and AI in education.

This scrutiny came amid repeated reports of student suicides, especially in coaching hubs like Kota, and across engineering and medical campuses nationwide.

In similar instances, the Supreme Court mandated the registration of FIRs in suspected cases and directed the formation of a National Task Force to address mental health concerns in educational institutions. The task force launched a dedicated portal and initiated nationwide surveys to identify systemic stressors affecting students.

Internationalisation of higher education gathered momentum in 2025. The UGC announced that multiple foreign universities had either received approval or formally announced plans to establish campuses in India. Nine UK universities were among those expected to set up Indian campuses, reflecting growing global confidence in India’s regulatory framework.

Institutions such as the University of New South Wales, University of Liverpool, and University of York announced campuses in Bengaluru and Mumbai, with several promising degrees at substantially lower costs than overseas education.

NCERT textbook revisions sparked debate throughout the year. New Class 7 textbooks expanded coverage of the Ghaznavid invasions, traced algebra and mathematical concepts to ancient India.

In another significant move, NCERT and UGC began working towards integrating Ayurveda into health education curricula in schools and colleges, signalling an attempt to align traditional knowledge with formal education frameworks.