New Delhi: The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday granted ex post facto approval for the memorandum of understanding between India and the United Kingdom on mutual recognition of academic qualifications signed on April 25, 2022. As envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020, the MoU also facilitates offering joint/ dual degree courses between higher education institutions (HEIs).

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Mutual recognition of qualifications (MRQs) between India and the UK aims to promote academic collaboration and student mobility. The request from the UK side to grant recognition to their one-year masters program was considered, and during the meeting between the education ministers of the two countries held on December 16, 2020, in Delhi, a decision was taken to set up a joint task force for this purpose.

The first meeting was held on February 4, 2021, and subsequently, after detailed deliberations and negotiations, both sides agreed on the draft MoU. The MoU aims to facilitate the mutual recognition of educational qualifications, periods of study undertaken, documents related to academic degrees/qualifications, and accreditation by educational institutions within the two countries.

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Professional degrees like engineering, medicine, nursing, and para-medical education, pharmacy, law, and architecture are out of the purview of this MoU. It will also facilitate the establishment of joint/dual degree courses between HEIs, one of our objectives under NEP 2020 for the internationalization of education. The MoU will promote the bilateral exchange of information about the educational structure, programs, and standards and increase the mobility of students and professionals between the two countries.

It will also encourage other areas of cooperation in the education sector, and the development of study programs as mutually agreed upon by the parties. This MoU shall recognize equivalence in accordance with parity with regard to the acceptability of qualifications as approved under the national policy, law, rules, and regulations of the two countries.

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