The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) have cautioned students aspiring to study in universities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to “exercise due diligence in choosing where to pursue higher education” to avoid problems in employment and higher studies in the future.
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The notice states that the UGC and the AICTE do not recognise degree courses done only in online mode without prior approval. The public notice jointly issued by the Member Secretary of the AICTE and Secretary of the UGC said it had come to their notice that Universities in the PRC had been issuing admission notice to various degree programmes for the current and upcoming academic years.
“Prospective students should be aware that the Chinese government has imposed strict travel restrictions in the wake of COVID-19 and suspended all visas since November 2020. A large number of Indian students have not been able to return to China to continue their studies due to these restrictions,” the notice stated.
The restrictions have not been relaxed yet, and the Chinese authorities had conveyed earlier that courses would be held online. “As per the extant rules, the UGC and the AICTE do not recognise degree courses only done in the online mode without prior approval,” the notice added.