Ministry seeks ‘backdoor' entry for foreign universities

With India’s central government unsure of getting the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill 2010 through the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament, the Human Resource Development Ministry is now trying to allow ‘backdoor’ entry to foreign institutions, writes Aarti Dhar for The Hindu.

The ministry has asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to identify possibilities within the existing laws of regulating and allowing in foreign institutions. The two possible ways are allowing these institutions to enter as ‘deemed universities’ under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act of 1956, or as private universities under the state laws.

The UGC is also drafting regulations on twinning programmes and joint degree programmes between foreign and Indian educational institutions. These proposed regulations and the possibility of allowing foreign institutions into the country are likely to be discussed at a special meeting of the commission scheduled for this weekend, just ahead of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal's tour to Washington for the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue, during which he would like to make announcements on joint programmes to encourage foreign institutions into India.
Full report on The Hindu site