As part of reforming the country’s higher education system, India has taken a step toward enabling prestigious foreign colleges like Yale, Oxford, and Stanford to open campuses and grant degrees.
On Thursday, the regulatory body the University Grants Commission presented a draft law for public comment that aims to make it easier for foreign universities to operate in the nation. According to the draught, the local campus may choose the admission standards for domestic and international students, the fee schedule, and the scholarship programme. The institutions will be free to choose who they want as faculty and staff members.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to reform the highly regulated education system in order to make it cheaper for Indian students to earn foreign degrees and to promote India as a desirable study destination worldwide. Additionally, the measure will make it easier for foreign institutions to reach the nation’s young people.
Despite producing CEOs for firms like Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc., India’s institutions and colleges consistently do poorly in international rankings. To become more competitive and close the expanding gap between college curricula and market demand, the nation must expand its education sector. According to the Global Talent Competitiveness Index of 2022, which assesses a country’s capacity to develop, entice, and retain talent, it now holds the 101st place out of 133 countries.
Some universities have already formed alliances with Indian educational institutions, enabling students to do some of their coursework there and finish their degrees on the main campus abroad. The current action will encourage these foreign universities to open campuses without collaborating with local organisations.
The final version of the University Grants Commission bill will be submitted to the parliament for approval prior to becoming law.
