Question : FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES INSTITUTIONS IN INDIA

(a) whether the Government is considering changes to the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Bill will allow foreign universities to set up institutions independently in India;

(d) if so, whether the University Grants Commission (UGC) has permitted only five hundred foreign universities to operate in India;

(e) if so, the manner in which the Government plans to check their fee structures and ensure availability of proper infrastructure and faculty;

(f) whether these universities will be a part of single entrance exams proposed to be conducted for engineering, medical and other post graduation degrees; and

(g) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SHASHI THAROOR)

(a) & (b): The Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources Development has presented its report on the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010. The report is under examination by the Ministry.

(c): The Bill permits reputed Foreign Educational Institutions (FEI), which have been offering educational services for at least 20 years in the country of origin and are accredited in the home country, to apply to be notified as a “Foreign Education Provider” (FEP) by the Central Government, based on recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) or any other body which may replace the Commission in future.

(d): The UGC (Promotion and Maintenance of Standards of Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012 has dropped the condition that an FEI has to be ranked in the top 500 institutions in the world to enter into an academic collaboration with an Indian institution. However, under the regulations, no foreign university can set up institutions independently in India.

(e): The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010 requires FEPs to declare in its prospectus, each component of fees, deposits and other charges payable by students, the percentage of tuition fee and other charges refundable to students, before the commencement of admission to any of its courses or programmes of study. Any FEI which is not an FEP cannot charge any fee or admit students and in case it does so, will be liable to a penalty between ten lakh to fifty lakh rupees in addition to refund of the fee. The prospectus would also contain details of the teaching faculty, their educational qualifications and teaching experience and information on physical and academic infrastructure and other facilities including hostel accommodation, library etc. Failure to adhere to its disclosure in the prospectus would result in withdrawal of recognition as FEP. Moreover, once an FEI is notified as an FEP, it will be subject to the control of the law of the land and regulations of the statutory regulatory body.

(f) & (g): There is no such proposal in the Ministry of Human Resource Development. However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to conduct single entrance examinations for admission to various Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) medical courses viz. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) w.e.f. academic year 2013-14. NEET is mandatory in respect of medical colleges falling under the ambit of Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act, 1956 as per regulations notified by Medical Council of India (MCI). The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been identified as the agency for conducting NEET for UG and National Board of Examinations (NBE) for PG medical courses.