The University Grants Commission (UGC) is preparing regulations to promote the admission of foreign universities into India, UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar told.

During a conference on 'One year into NEP', Jagdeesh Kumar said a few nations had indicated an interest in joining the Indian higher education area. The higher education controller will present the regulation in two months to promote this.

The AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe and Indrajit Bhattacharya, head of the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training, under the Quality Council of India, were the other panellists. 

The UGC chairman also added, "Recently, I met delegates of several countries, and many are displaying interest in setting their campuses in India". "We are also operating on formulating a decree to enable our Indian institutes, both public, private or central universities, to open campuses abroad."

Foreign university campuses in India are among numerous proposals of the new National Education Policy (NEP).

Lately, the Education Ministry has advised Parliament that two higher education organizations, founded in Italy and France, are interested in establishing their campuses in India.

According to a documented reply delivered by the Union Minister of State for Education, A Milan-based institute of fashion and design, which opened a branch in Mumbai in 2017, has communicated interest in launching a launch a "foreign, fully autonomous Institute of Fashion and Design in India".

Not many universities were interested in setting up their campus in India in 2021.

In 2021, a survey run among 43 foreign universities by the Delhi-based National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration had discovered that not many were curious about establishing campuses in India.

Out of the 43 institutes across 11 nations that partook, only eight voiced interest. Five were from the United States, and one each from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

Universities that showed interest noted that state approvals and altering public perception are the most significant challenges in the approach.

Likewise, respondents who said they were not interested also cited the same problems as challenges. 

All participant universities emphasized the significance of a "liberal regulatory framework" to improve the perception that India is a promising destination for foreign universities to set up campuses. 

International Finance Tec-City (GIFT), Gandhinagar. 

In February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had, in her Budget speech, stated that India would set up world-class campuses in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT), Gandhinagar. 

The Minister also indicated that "World-class foreign universities and organizations will be permitted in the GIFT City to offer courses in economic governance, fintech, science, technology, engineering and mathematics free from regulations. 

 As part of the NEP implementation, the internationalization of Indian education and encouraging the international universities to set up campuses in India are at focus. The Government is also labouring on how our own Indian Institutes, such as IITs, JNUs or DU and other finest universities, can set up their campuses abroad.

Both AICTE and UGC issued a public notice advising the students to be careful while applying for admissions to foreign universities.

Because especially those students, who have returned from China during the COVID pandemic, they are still unable to return to China and complete their studies. So we are hopeful that once our new regulations come, once the foreign universities set up their campuses, there will be much more flexibility and opportunity for the students while sitting in India while living in India. They can access education, which is of global standards.

Source: The Indian Express, The Print