Lok Sabha Question No. 318 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-15
Subject: Master’s Degrees from Foreign Universities
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO.318 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.07.2019

## Master's Degrees from Foreign Universities

## *318. SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has set up a panel to recognise one-year Master's degrees from foreign universities;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the major recommendations of the said panel;
- (c) the action taken by the Government on the recommendation given by the panel;
- (d)  whether the Government plans to recognise the one-year Master's degrees from leading universities of the world; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  318  FOR  REPLY  ON  15.07.2019  ASKED  BY  SHRI SHUSHIL KUMAR SINGH REGARDING MASTER'S DEGREE FROM FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES (a) to (e): No, Sir. No such panel specifically to recognize one year Master's Degree from foreign  university,  has  been  set  up.  However,  a  Committee  under  the  Chairpersonship  of Chairman,  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  was  set  up  to  look  into  the  problems  of equivalence of qualifications,  obtained  in  a  foreign  country,  at  various  stages  of  education system. The Committee gave its recommendations which were centred around the principle of mutual respect for the academic sovereignty of each country. As per the recommendations, India may enter into agreement with such countries as have put in place a rigorous, robust and credible system of approval/recognition/accreditation/quality assurance  of  their  higher  educational  institutions  and  their  programme  of  studies  and  an attempt may be made to recognized/accredited higher education institutions in the respective countries and such qualifications be treated as equivalent to the qualifications in India, level by level, and vice versa. India has, so far, signed Agreement/MOU on mutual recognition of academic qualifications with France, on 10 th March, 2019, and with Morocco, on 22.01.2019 to facilitate the students from both the sides to have a hassle free mobility and to have a valid degree. Draft MOUs on mutual  recognition  of  academic  qualifications  have  been  shared  with  all  the  countries targeted under Study in India Programme (a Programme with the objective to increase the number  of  inbound  foreign  students  in  the  country)  for  their  consideration.  India  also participated  in  discussion  on  inter-governmental  meeting  on  the  preliminary  draft  of  the UNESCO's Global Convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications held on 5-7 December, 2018 at Paris. There is no proposal at present to recognize one year Master's degree obtained from foreign countries.  As  per  current  Policy,  equivalence  is  accorded  by  AIU  only  for  those  Master Degrees awarded by approved/recognized/accredited foreign universities that are of 2-Year duration. Signing umbrella MOU on mutual recognition of qualifications at multilateral basis is not practicable due to variation in higher education system worldwide.

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