New Delhi: India is hoping to promote active institutional linkage with partner countries through new regulations, which will allow top foreign universities to set up campuses in the country, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday.
Addressing a session of the Voice of Global South Summit, Pradhan said India has always encouraged global initiatives that champion the interests and concerns of the developing countries. “As India has assumed the G20 presidency, this summit will serve as a platform to generate ideas and bring voice to the global south of the G20 forum,” he said.
The minister said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 endeavors to make India a “global study destination” and provide premium education at affordable cost.
“We have come up with regulations to allow institutions to enter joint, and dual degrees and twinning arrangements with foreign higher educational institutions. Our top institutions such as IITs are also setting up offshore campuses abroad,” Pradhan said. “We have also recently brought out a draft regulation allowing top foreign charities to set up campuses in India as well. We hope to promote active institutional linkage with our partner countries through this.”
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on January 5 released draft guidelines that will help top foreign higher education institutions to set up campuses in India. The regulations have been issued in public domain, seeking comments from the stakeholders.
{{/usCountry}}The University Grants Commission (UGC) on January 5 released draft guidelines that will help top foreign higher education institutions to set up campuses in India. The regulations have been issued in public domain, seeking comments from the stakeholders.
{{/usCountry}}As in the G20 education working group, Pradhan said, India will discuss issues related to foundational literacy and numeracy, making tech enabled learning more inclusive, lifelong learning in the context of the future, and ways to strengthen research and innovation in higher education institutions.
“We strongly believe that views and perspectives of large numbers of countries outside G20 should especially be included in the discussion and outcomes across various verticals,” he said. “We’re looking forward to hearing your views and learning from best practices in your respective countries and human resource development, capacity building, future ready workforce, digital public goods in education, skilling and vocational education.”
In his address during the session, which was on the theme of “human resource development and capacity building”, the minister further said: “As our Prime Minister said, as countries of the global south we shall find common solutions to similar challenges of our respective countries, including human capacity building.”
Stressing that education was fundamental for achieving full human potential, Pradhan emphasized on the reforms India has witnessed at both school and higher education levels as part of the implementation of NEP.
“We have the largest and the most diverse learning system in the world. We have more than 50% of the population below 30 years. To harness the true potential of our demographic dividend, we are implementing aspirational national education policy 2020 which has brought in sweeping reforms in our education ecosystem,” Pradhan said.
For centuries, education systems of most countries in the global south have suffered due to “colonialism”, he said. “It is about time that we break out of the old mold and cater to the aspirations of our people built on the foundational pillars of access, equality, quality and affordable accountability. Our national education policy will create an educational system that is rooted in Indian ethos as well as aligned to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development,” he added.