NEP 2020 opens doors for foreign varsities

NEW DELHI: The first education related legislation to come after the new New Education Policy, 2020, is also set to pave way for entry of foreign universities into India, besides bringing the long awaited single higher education regulator. The ministry of education is preparing to take to cabinet a Bill to set up the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)- which will come with a clause to allow foreign varsities into India.Clause 20(4) of the draft HECI Bill, 2020 specifies that “the Commission may lay down norms and accord approvals for setting up campuses in lndia by highly reputed foreign universities in the manner prescribed”. The model of routing entry of foreign universities through the HECI Bill with a single clause instead of a separate legislation is hoped to find greater support in Parliament as the nitty gritty will be left to the Commission to formulate. The Bill has been reworked so that it is in tune with NEP 2020 which states that while high-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries, select universities like “those from among the top-100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India”.77324102It mentions “a legislative framework facilitating such entry” and states that such universities will be given “special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India”. The issue of bringing foreign varsities into India has been a long-drawn one. While the UPA couldn’t get adequate political support for the move despite the push from the then PM Manmohan Singh’s office, NDA-2 has seen the Niti Aayog, commerce ministry and the PMO keenly pushing for it, brooking deep reservations within the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and its affiliate, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch.With Rajya Sabha numbers now in favour of the ruling dispensation, there is hope of the revamped plan passing muster. The proposed legislation has been reworked on the regulatory structure as well –– doing away with both the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education, and attuning it to NEP 2020.

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