In a move to
regulate the country's higher education sector, the
University Grants Commission has approved new regulations governing foreign
university partnerships, barring entry to all but the top 500 globally-ranked
universities. In order to be eligible to offer joint degrees or other twinning
programmes, foreign universities must be listed among the top 500 in the Times Higher Education or Shanghai Jiaotong University world rankings, while Indian
universities must have received the highest grade from the National Assessmentand Accreditation Council or the National Board of Accreditation. Universities
with existing partnerships will be allowed six months to comply with the new
regulations, or face penalties.
While the
government’s move to regulate partnerships by allowing access to elite
institutions should be lauded, there are many non-elite institutions worldwide
that offer a diverse range of high-quality programmes. The new regulations
would deprive Indian students from accessing those programmes.
