Guidelines for Foreign Universities to Set up Campuses in India- Eligibility, Admission, Faculty, Fee Structure and more

M. Jagadesh Kumar, the head of the University Grants Commission, presented new rules for international universities opening up campuses in India on January 5. “No foreign higher education can set up campuses without the approval by the UGC," the chairman said.

Guidelines Issued by University Grant Commission for Foreign Universities

The UGC stated during a media interaction that foreign universities setting up campuses in India would have the freedom to create their own admissions procedure and that the draught regulations for "Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India" had been released. 

Admission criteria and fees structure

The institution will be required to post the prospectus, which includes information on the fee schedule, the refund policy, the number of seats in each programme, the prerequisites, and the admissions procedure, on its website at least 60 days before admissions begin.

The FHEI may offer full or partial need-based scholarships based on an evaluation process using money from endowment funds, alumni donations, tuition revenues, and other sources.

These universities offer programmes for online or distance learning. They can only provide full-time physical programmes.

Eligibility

There are two types of foreign schools that are qualified to apply to open campuses in India: universities that are ranked in the top 500 globally or by subject, or institutions that are well-regarded in their native country.

Granting of approvals

A permanent committee will be established by the UGC to look into issues pertaining to the establishment and administration of FHEI campuses in India. Each application will be evaluated on its own merits by the panel, which will also consider the legitimacy of the educational institutions, the programmes to be offered, their potential to improve educational opportunities in India, and the proposed academic infrastructure. The panel will then issue recommendations within 45 days. 

Within two years of the date of approval, the commission may initially provide the FHEI in-principle approval and issue a letter of intent for the establishment of campuses in India.

Faculty

According to its hiring standards, FHEI hall is free to hire academics and employees from India and beyond. It may choose the requirements, pay scale, and other terms of employment for hiring faculty and employees. However, the FHEI will make sure that the faculty members' credentials are on par with those of the primary campus in the nation of appointment. It will make sure that the foreign faculty members chosen to teach at the Indian institution remain there for a sufficient amount of time.

Equivalence with degrees awarded by Indian Universities

The degrees granted to students at the Indian campus will be acknowledged and regarded as being equivalent to the degrees granted by the FEHI at the main campus in the student's country of origin. The credentials granted in accordance with the regulations must be comparable to any degree granted by an Indian HEI.