UGC Foreign University Regulations: Teachers, Students question ambiguity over fees, syllabus

Teachers' associations have alleged that UGC has opened the doors for foreign Universities, not for the welfare of students but they are to act like coaching institutes.

Ever since the University Grants Commission announced the Draft Regulations for allowing universities to set up campuses in India, the move has received praise from some quarters, while some sections are also criticizing the move. The regulations are being criticized on the ground that they will commercialise higher education, downgrade the quality, be detrimental to domestic institutions and so on.

Several teacher associations and student associations have been at the forefront of criticism against allowing foreign universities to set up their campuses in India. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) affiliated teachers' organisation, AADTA, has opposed the draft University Grants Commission (Setting up and operation of Campus of foreign Higher education Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, as according to it, the new regulations will convert educational institutions in commercial enterprise, elitist enclave and distant from Indian socio-economic-cultural problems.

“This is the reactivation of 'drain theory', by which these educational East India Companies will try to plunder the vast education sector. The social justice concerns have been totally ignored which is very important in our context where higher education is a very effective means for social change,” said a statement from AADTA member Seema Das, who is also a Member of the Delhi University EC (Executive Council).

The AADTA has alleged that UGC has opened the doors for foreign Universities, not for the welfare of students but they are to act like coaching institutes. There is no emphasis on research and innovation. The difficult surmount is because the present government is moving away from strengthening Indian Universities under NEP 2020. This draft Regulation is a reflection of less funding for education by the Central government and will be in accordance with the motive of the New Education Policy 2020.

The association has also questioned subjectivity and ambiguity in the procedure for approval with no clarity on the constitution and composition of the UGC standing committee for monitoring/Approval granting for setting up and operation of campuses of foreign HEI in India.

The UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar during his press conference said that foreign universities can set up their campuses in India, and decide their admission process, and fee structure.

Criticizing the move, the Students Federation of India (SFI) has alleged that the plan of the Central Government is nothing else than allowing foreign private players to hijack the Indian Higher Education system. SFI said: “It is ironic that the BJP, who protested against the implementation of foreign universities themselves have now come up with the new proposal.”

“The idea of foreign university campuses in the nooks and corners of India might feel very empowering but the reality is that this will definitely weaken the Indian education system. The creation of such campuses won't be of any benefit for the common Indian students and will only result in the creation of elite educational spaces which gatekeeps the knowledge between certain sections of the society,” SFI alleged in a statement.

SFI has demanded the Central Government and UGC revoke the draft norms on foreign universities.

‘UGC Regulations- Threat to Indian Democracy’

According to Democratic Teachers Front, the recent announcement of the Modi Government through the draft UGC Regulations that foreign universities will be allowed to set up offshore campuses. They are peddling fallacious dreams of an "Ivy League education at affordable costs".

It has been stated that the reality is far from it as these foreign universities will provide education at costs unaffordable for the vast majority of our population as they will be unfettered in deciding curriculum, fee structure and salaries of teachers. This will no doubt increase the cost of education in these institutions. Besides, the content of the education provided in these institutes will work to attenuate the quest for democratic policy autonomy in the country.

Questioning the provision of the draft, which prevents foreign universities from offering online courses, DTF has stated that it is ironic that the draft UGC Regulation does not allow foreign universities to offer online courses, perhaps in recognition of the fact that online education is severely lacking in quality and rigour.

“However, on the other hand, the UGC and the Government are cynically pushing online education in publicly funded institutions in order to undermine them and further private higher education. This furthering will involve a poverty of education, an undermining of teachers' roles and rights in the teaching-learning process and an unravelling of social justice (via reservations) in both admissions and jobs in higher education,” it stated.

The Front has alleged that such double standards clearly reveal the intentions of the Government which is to bring down the quality of education in publicly funded institutions so that the private and foreign institutions can profiteer at their cost.

The Draft Regulations on Foreign Universities gives these institutions freedom to decide fees, and have their own recruitment policy and salary structure.

“This move by the Modi Government must be opposed likewise as the next logical step of any such policy will be to allow explicit profit-making in higher education. The very future of a democratic India is at stake. We call upon students, teachers, parents and citizens at large to resist and defeat this undermining of our sovereignty,” reads a statement issued by DTF President Nandita Narain.

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