UGC’s Draft Regulations – Setting up of Campuses of Foreign Universities in India

Summary of UGC’s draft Regulations on setting up of campuses of Foreign Universities in India, as well as issues that require further clarity from UGC.

  • Regulation of Foreign universities/institutions conducting undergraduate, postgraduate, Phd, Post Doc. programmes in India.
  • Open to, top universities which are ‘recognised’ in the country of origin.
  • Approval of UGC for setting up campuses mandatory.
  • Quality of education to be at par with that of main campus.
  • Programmes can’t be offered in on-line mode.
  • Subject to quality and assurance audit by UGC.
  • Indian campus can’t act as Rep office of parent entity.

 

UGC needs to tie up the following loose ends:

  • Stipulate the term for which the initial approval lasts
  • elaborate on concept of “duly recognised” and quality assurance from  a “recognised body”
  • flesh out the approval criteria so that the discretion for approval is not open ended
  • clarify if the Indian campus can be set up by an incorporated entity
  • clarify on fee collection by parent entity
  • FEMA 1999 will have to be amended

 

This update is authored by Shivpriya Nanda, Partner – Corporate Practice.