Govt Takes Steps to Open Doors For Overseas Universities in India

In a big push for the education sector in India, the government has permitted leading foreign universities including Yale, Oxford and Stanford to open up campuses and award degrees here.

This comes as a part of revamping the nation’s higher education system. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is aiming to modernise the country’s education sector, allowing Indian students to get international diplomas at a low cost and making the country an appealing worldwide study destination. Additionally, the measure will make it easier for foreign institutions to reach India’s young population who look to go abroad for higher education in some of the world’s best universities.

A draft law to make it simpler for foreign universities to operate in the country was made available for public feedback by the University Grants Commission on January 5. As per the draft, the local campus of foreign higher education institutions will be able to decide the admission requirements for both domestic and foreign students, the fee structure, and the scholarship programmes. The universities will have complete discretion over anyone they choose to hire as faculty and staff. The UGC draft stipulated that all courses provided by foreign higher education institutions must be taught in person and online courses and distance learning will not be permitted.

Institutes will be able to begin the procedure of setting up their campuses in India after seeking permission from UGC, and their permit must be renewed every nine years, as per the chairman of the statutory body, M Jagadesh Kumar.

Around 49 foreign universities have already shown interest to collaborate academically with Indian educational institutions and formed alliances, enabling students to do “twinning” and “joint degree” programmes on the Indian and foreign campuses. The current action will encourage these foreign universities to set up campuses without collaborating with Indian universities.

At this point in time, India has to strengthen its educational system to remain competitive and close the expanding gap between college curricula and consumer demand. India, currently, stands at 101 out of 133 countries in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index of 2022, which assesses a country’s capacity to develop, attract, and retain talent.

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