A Big Push to India’s Education System by Modi Government as UGC prepares draft
In what is being seen as a major push to the education sector in India, UGC has recently unveiled its plan for the future of overseas education in the country.
The draft regulation titled “University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023” was released just yesterday and is open to public comments. Once finalized, it will open the doors for colleges like Yale, Oxford, Stanford, and more to open campuses in India.
Explaining the Regulations
- Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEI) will be allowed to set up Indian campuses only after UGC’s approval.
- The foreign university should be within the top 500 Global Rankings (overall or subject-wise).
- The FHEI should also be a “reputed institution in its home jurisdiction.”
- The FHEI should also provide an undertaking that the level of education imparted will not be inferior to the one they provide in the country of origin. Additionally, the qualifications awarded to students in the Indian campus should be equivalent to the qualification awarded in the original campus.
- It has also noted that the programmes offered should not be allowed in online and ODL (open and distance learning) mode.
Inaugurated a state-of-art robotics lab at Goodwill English School of the Shatrunjay Charitable Trust in Bibwewadi, Pune, yesterday in a bid to understand impact of #NEP2020
Heartening, that cutting-edge technologies are taken to schools as envisioned by Hon PM @narendramodi
Ji pic.twitter.com/zeCHIkV8nE— Dr. VINAY Sahasrabuddhe (@Vinay1011) January 7, 2023
Why has the Government taken such a step?
When the Government launched the ambitious National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020, there was an understanding that the current levels of educational institutions would have to be improved to achieve the goals set out in the policy. One of the provisions of the NEP 2020 reads, “top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.” To fulfill this clause, there is a need to have a proper regulatory framework that will guide the entry and operationality of these Universities on Indian soil. This is why UGC has drafted these guidelines. Moreover, the goal is also to make India a global study destination.
Read More- UGC NET Dates Release for 2023 June Cycle: How to start preparing?
The Brain Drain
A large chunk of Indian students tends to go out for higher studies. This is mainly due to the lack of the courses they want to study or the absence of high-ranking institutions to enroll in. This move, however, will help reduce this outflow of Indian students to foreign countries. Having campuses of premier institutes will also make education affordable for many students who cannot go out and study at these universities.
Future Directions
The current regulations are only a draft and is open to public scrutiny and comments. Once this step is over, the UGC will prepare a proper draft by considering all the suggestions. Only once the bill is passed and approved by the Parliament, it will become a law. If approved, the law will be a huge push in putting India on the map as a study destination. It will also become a hub in South Asia as one of the leading South Asian countries to offer educational standards that match the west.
