Foreign varsities setting up campuses in India a win-win situation, says Jagadesh Kumar

Jagadesh Kumar said the commission has framed the regulations in line with the National Education Policy 2020 that envisioned facilitating operations of top universities of the world in India.

New Delhi: Foreign universities setting up campuses in India will be a win-win situation as it will provide Indian students an opportunity to access international education in the country, and boost arrival of foreign students to India, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar told HT in an interview. Edited excerpts:

University Grants Commission chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar (Wikimedia Commons)

Q) What is the significance of these regulations and how will they help the country in establishing itself as a global education destination?

The commission has framed the regulations in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that envisioned facilitating operations of top universities of the world in India. Since Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India (FHEIs) can admit both Indian and international students, it will be a win-win situation for the country. It will not only help in providing greater opportunities to Indian students, but also attract international students to the country.

Q) What type of foreign universities are expected to set up their campuses in India?

Universities that can offer popular programmes such as financial management, fintech, media, digital marketing, and business analytics, besides science and engineering are expected to set up their campuses here. A few European universities are already in touch with UGC. We are also writing to the ambassadors of about 55 countries where some of the top universities are located to seek their feedback on the draft regulations.

Q) Why has UGC decided to give autonomy to these FHEIs in terms of fixing admission criteria, fees, and faculty recruitment?

Since the FHEI gives the degree, it makes sense to use the same admission criteria for their campuses in India. The regulation says that the FHEI shall ensure that the qualifications of the faculty appointed shall be at par with the main campus of the country of origin. Since the FHEI, from their resources, pays faculty salaries, they also would like to choose faculty members from across the world. As far as the tuition fees are concerned, the regulation says that “the fee structure should be transparent and reasonable”. If any FHEI charges exorbitantly, the students will look for other institutes. Ultimately, the quality of education they offer and the affordability will decide where students will go. This, therefore, will act as a self-regulation on tuition fees.

Q) How will the UGC ensure that these universities don’t offer any programme that ‘jeopardises the national interest of India’, as mentioned in regulations?

The FHEIs must submit an annual report to the commission, giving details of the programmes offered. These details will also be available on their websites. Therefore, identifying a violation of regulatory norms should not be a problem. In case of any adverse finding, misappropriation, or suppression of facts, UGC holds the authority to impose a penalty and suspend/withdraw its approval.

Q) Will these universities follow the existing reservation norms of India?

The admission procedure of these universities in India will be the same as they follow in their parent campuses. However, to take care of the interest of needy students, just as is done in top international universities, the regulation specifies that based on an evaluation process, full or partial need-based scholarships may be provided through endowment funds, alumni donations and tuition revenues, among other sources.

Q) Is the UGC expected to benefit monetarily from the functioning of FHEIs?

Other than the application processing fee and a nominal annual fee, UGC will not charge anything from the FHEIs. However, our students’ exposure to high-quality international education and their meaningful contributions to the Indian economy will eventually benefit the country.