New Delhi: Currently, there is no law which allows the entry and operation of foreign educational providers to set up their campuses and offer dual degree in India. However, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified the UGC (Promotion and Maintenance of Standards of Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations 2016, which spell out the modalities regarding the eligibility criteria and the conditions for the collaboration of a foreign educational institution with an Indian educational institution.

The Minister of State HRD, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question informed that the regulations stipulate that the degree of the student graduating from Indian Educational Institution, in collaborative arrangement with Foreign Educational Institution, shall be awarded only by the Indian Educational Institution and not by Foreign Educational Institution. In anyway, joint degrees are not permitted, the minister added.

However, the degree may incorporate a para that ‘this degree is being awarded in collaboration with the Foreign Educational Institution’ to make it amply clear that the primacy and the award of the degree is by the Indian Educational Institution and that the degree awarded is not to be construed as a Joint Degree.

Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey alos informed that AICTE has also issued Regulations for Entry and Operation of Foreign Universities/Institutions imparting Technical Education in India to facilitate collaboration and partnerships between Indian and Foreign Universities/Institutions in the field of technical education, research and training.