The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Saturday passed a resolution approving a new set of regulations for twinning and joint degree programmes involving foreign varsities and Indian educational institutions.
And in a bid to ensure quality education as well as to protect the interests of the students, the UGC has decided that only reputed institutions would henceforth be allowed to conduct twinning programmes.
“Only quality universities listed in the first 500 global rankings would be allowed to enter into agreement with their Indian counterparts for offering twinning programmes. We have passed a resolution. The Indian universities also should have received the highest accreditation grade,” UGC Chairman Ved Prakash told Express.
According to him, several foreign educational institutions have been functioning in the country, offering a slew of courses and programmes. However, there is presently no regulation to rein in these institutions, with academic credentials which may not even measure up to the required standards in their respective countries.
Prakash further said the commission had decided to give six months’ time to higher education institutions in the country, which were offering courses of foreign universities, to meet the new regulatory framework.