UGC notifies regulations for foreign higher education institutions in India

UGC, exercising its powers under the UGC Act, 1956 (as amended), has notified two key regulations for foreign higher education institutions in India.

In a significant development, the University Grants Commission (UGC), exercising its powers under the UGC Act, 1956 (as amended), has notified two key regulations for foreign higher education institutions in India.

The first -- 'University Grants Commission (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions will offer Twinning Programme, Joint Degree, and Dual Degree Programmes) Regulations, 2022' while the second is titled 'University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023'.

The regulations mandate that No Foreign Higher Educational Institution shall offer any programme in India without the prior approval of the Commission.

They further mandate that the HEIs shall not offer programmes under any franchise arrangement and that such programmes shall not be recognised by the UGC.

Any such kind of collaboration/ arrangement is not recognised by the University Grants Commission, and accordingly, the degrees issued subsequent to such collaboration/ arrangement are also not recognised by the Commission, it added.

Action will also be taken against all the defaulting EdTech companies as well as the HEls under applicable laws/rules/regulations.