Between Friction and Negotiation: How Education is Redefining Indian Federalism

 Between Friction and Negotiation: How Education is Redefining Indian Federalism

1. Drivers of Centralisation (The Centre's Growing Influence)

While education is on the Concurrent List (giving legislative power to both the Union and States), the current dynamic heavily favors the Central government through several levers:

• Policy & Structural Overhauls: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 introduces sweeping, uniform changes—like four-year undergraduate degrees and the Academic Bank of Credits—encroaching on domains historically managed by State governments.

• Financial Leverage: Access to vital central funding is increasingly tied to a State's compliance with these national reform agendas (e.g., the Institutions of Eminence initiative and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation).

• New Regulatory Frameworks: The proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 aims to replace existing bodies like the UGC, sparking fears among States about a further erosion of their local authority.

• Digital Monitoring: Centralized digital governance tools, such as the Academic Bank of Credits, allow the Union government to directly standardize and track higher education metrics across state lines.

2. Flashpoints of Centre-State Conflict

In states with strong regional identities, these administrative shifts are viewed as direct threats to the constitutional balance of power. Key disputes include:

• Language Policy: Tamil Nadu has strongly opposed the NEP’s three-language formula and recent UGC circulars regarding a third language.

• Executive Control: Bitter disputes have erupted in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and West Bengal over the appointment of university Vice-Chancellors and the overreaching powers of state Governors.

3. "Strategic Adaptation" and Negotiated Federalism

Despite these heavy tensions, the relationship is not entirely adversarial. A more pragmatic, negotiated federalism has emerged:

• Selective Implementation: Many states (including those ruled by Opposition parties) choose to accept, modify, or reject specific pieces of the NEP to fit their local political and cultural landscapes.

• Codependence in Internationalization: While the Central government sets the regulatory framework for allowing foreign university campuses into India, the actual execution relies entirely on the States. States must provide the local administrative clearances, infrastructure support, and land/investment facilitation. As a result, states are strategically partnering with global institutions to pitch themselves as regional education hubs.

Takeaway: Higher education governance in India is no longer just about academic policy; it is a dynamic mirror reflecting the shifting, highly negotiated distribution of power between the Union and the States.