The Foreign Educational Institutions (FEI) Bill that had been proposed by the government has been opposed by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The bill had been proposed as a means to allow and regulate the entry and functioning of foreign universities in India. The MCI had written to the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry regarding the bill, which is considered critical for several top foreign universities to partner with Indian institutions for setting up campuses in India. Several top global institutions in UK and the US have been keeping an eye on the Indian educational system especially as the higher education system in these nations had been suffering a major financial crisis. Foreign universities currently cannot set campuses in India or collaborate with other educational institutions here. MCI has raised its opinions against the bill when the Parliament Standing Committee on HRD had already finalized its report on the Bill. The panel had today summoned the University Grants Commission to discuss the bill. According to sources, the Bill has the support of the UGC. However, the opposition being faced from the MCI will not be easy to ignore as the council will be the designated statutory authority for recognizing foreign educational institutions that would like to set up campuses in India. Sources have said that there might be a chance that the MCI may be convinced into granting its approval for the FEI Bill. The medical council has argued that any foreign educational institution that would want to offer its medical degrees in India would have to undergo rigorous inspection by the council.
