UGC notifies regulations for foreign varsities to set up India campus

Subject: Polity

Section: National body

Context: UGC notifies regulations for foreign varsities to set up India campus

More about the news:

The University Grant Commission (UGC) has issued regulations allowing foreign universities ranked among the world’s top 500 to establish branch campuses in India.
These regulations, which come nearly ten months after the draft was published for feedback, outline key aspects of foreign universities’ operations in India.
Each foreign university may set up multiple campuses in India and collaborate with other institutions to establish these campuses, provided they meet eligibility criteria individually.
These institutions will have control over their admission processes, fee structures, and the ability to repatriate funds to their parent campuses.
However, they must ensure international faculty members appointed to teach in India stay in the country for at least one semester.
Furthermore, these institutions cannot offer online or distance learning programs and must seek approval from the UGC for any new programs in India.
The regulations also stipulate that foreign universitiesmust not establish representative offices in India and are encouraged to provide merit-based or need-based scholarships to Indian students.

What is University Grants Commission:

The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory body under the provisions of UGC Act, 1956.
It is responsible for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education.
It provides recognition to universities in India, and disburses funds to such recognized universities and colleges.
The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education is the Nodal Ministry of UGC.