The story so far: Foreign universities and educational institutions could soon be allowed to set up campuses in India as per the draft regulations made public by the University Grants Commission.
What has the UGC proposed?
The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced the draft regulations for ‘Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India’ and invited feedback from stakeholders.
The proposal allows a foreign university among the top 500 global rankings or a foreign educational institution of repute in its home jurisdiction to apply to the UGC to set up a campus in India. Such a campus can evolve their own admission process and criteria to admit domestic and foreign students. It will also have autonomy to decide its fee structure, and will face no caps that are imposed on Indian institutions. The fee should be “reasonable and transparent”. It will also have autonomy to recruit faculty and staff from India and abroad. However, such universities and colleges cannot “offer any such programme of study which jeopardises the national interest of India or the standards of higher education in India.” They will also be allowed cross-border movement of funds.
There have been several moves towards bringing in foreign universities in the past, which failed. In 2010, the UPA-II government brought the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill, which was not passed as the BJP, the Samajwadi Partyand left parties opposed for multiple reasons including concerns of Western influence on Indian ethos.
What are foreign players saying and how has has the proposal been received by the Indian education sector?
This is an excellent move and will pave the way for India to become a global destination for education, says FICCI’s co-chair for higher education and Pro Chancellor of Symbiosis International University, Vidya Yeravdekar. She adds that not only will it help prevent brain drain and loss of forex due to Indian students studying overseas, but also help to attract overseas students to India. It will also encourage competition among various players in the country, and allow faculty to faculty research collaboration among various universities.
“It is still early days, but the UGC move is a good one. They have provided autonomy in admission criteria, fee and have not imposed restrictions on hiring Indian nationals and also allowed repatriation of surplus funds, which are all enabling provisions,” Ravneet Pawha, Vice-President (Global Alliances) & CEO (South Asia), Deakin University said. But several questions remain.
Ms Pahwa added, “If foreign institutions want to hire foreign faculty to offer students a differential, where will I get them from. Do we have the capacity here, or do we bring them from outside. Secondly, while India wants to be a global destination for higher education what about the infrastructure needed to support that ambition. Thirdly, those Indians who have the aspiration to go abroad to live there will still continue to do so, which means we have to look at those who want a foreign education within the country at a reduced cost and we will need to provide that keeping in mind their paying capacity. Can we then create and maintain the infrastructure that is superior to what is already available. Lastly, we also have to be able to ensure that the quality of infrastructure, teaching and faculty we provide here will also have to comply with Australian standards”
What does the National Education Policy (NEP) say about allowing foreign campuses and higher education in the country?
The National Education Policy (NEP) says that the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India through a legislative framework. According to Fuqran Qamar, a former adviser for education in the erstwhile Planning Commission, “the draft regulations don’t follow the text of the NEP, rather uses it as a pretext.” He explains that while the NEP talks about creating a legislative framework, the government is following the regulatory route. Critically,the NEP also proposes attracting the top 100 universities, while the UGC draft permits universities with top 500 global rankings or those considered reputed in their home country.
The objective in promoting India as a global education destination is apparently aimed at saving loss offoreign exchange. After Chinese students, Indians are the largest category of foreign students in countries like the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.
Nearly 13 lakh students were studying abroad in 2022 according to the Ministry of External Affairs data; and as per the RBI, ₹5 billion was lost in foreign exchange due to students going overseas in FY 2021-2022.
The larger goal of the NEP is also to take the gross enrollment ratio (GER) in colleges and universities to 50% by 2035 from the current 27%. But chasing online education and private institutions will not benefit those who have no access to education, and merely offer more choices to the upper and middle class who have 100% GER, says Mr. Qamar.
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced the draft regulations for ‘Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India’ and invited feedback from stakeholders.
- The proposal allows a foreign university among the top 500 global rankings or a foreign educational institution of repute in its home jurisdiction to apply to the UGC to set up a campus in India.
- This is an excellent move and will pave the way for India to become a global destination for education, says FICCI’s co-chair for higher education and Pro Chancellor of Symbiosis International University, Vidya Yeravdekar.
