NEP to allow foreign universities to operate from India: Government

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 intends for leading universities around the world to begin operations in India, said the Union Education Ministry unequivocally in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar, in a written reply in the Upper House, said that in this regard, a legislative framework is being prepared so that top foreign universities could be established on Indian soil.

Kartikeya Sharma, a Rajya Sabha member, asked whether regional campuses of the top 100 global ranking educational institutions are being established in India under the National Education Policy and, if yes, what would be the modus operandi, the facilities given to them, and whether the government would participate in such institutions. 

The minister replied that such universities will be granted special privileges in terms of regulatory, governance, and content norms, similar to other autonomous institutions in India. The minister added that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has drafted norms to help in the setting up of the campuses of foreign universities in India. But the foreign universities that want to start campuses have to follow the UGC regulations as well. The minister went on to say that all the norms for 2023 have been placed in the public domain so that stakeholders can give their suggestions and comments. The draft regulations are available at the website as well.