Lok Sabha Question No. 209 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-22
Subject: Restoring India as a Global Hub of Education
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Haribhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 209

ANSWERED ON 22.07.2024

## Restoring India as a Global Hub of Education

209   Shri Haribhai Patel:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  committed  for  restoring  the  place  of  India  as  a global hub of Education, if so, what are the concrete steps undertaken by the Government for realizing the vision of making India, a preferred destination of Education;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  measure  to  facilitate  the  foreign students in getting comprehensive  information  about  the  Indian Higher Education Institutions (IHEIs) for the successful attainment of the aforementioned goal;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the necessary criteria for higher educational institutes to qualify for enrolling foreign students?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (d):

The  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020  focuses  extensively  on  attaining  the highest global standards in the quality of higher education. To achieve this vision and making India a preferred destination for education, the government has undertaken several concrete steps:

- i. 'Study in India' program is a flagship initiative to promote Indian education and making India as a preferred destination, with the overall objective to increase the number of international students coming to study in India. Study in India (Sll) portal https://studyinindia.gov.in has been launched on 3 rd August. 2023, as a dedicated website that showcases the best of Indian Higher  Educational  Institutions  (HEIs)  and  is  a  one  stop  solution  for admission and visa applications for foreign  students  who  wish  to  pursue their  higher  education  in  Indian  HEIs.  It  is  mandatory  for  all  international

students seeking admission in Indian HEIs to register on the SII portal for the academic session 2023-24 onwards, for every full term or short-term course.  The  portal  provides  a  structured  mechanism  to  facilitate  foreign students to meet their Visa obligations.

Indian institutions fulfilling the following criteria can register on the Study in India portal, for admitting foreign students in their campus:

- i. Institutions listed/figured in 8 th Edition of NIRF
- ii. Institutions listed in QS World Ranking Asia 2024
- iii. Institutors with a valid NAAC score of 3.01 and above on a scale of 4.0
- iv. Institutions  having  Accorded  Autonomous  Status  by  any  statutory bodies,  Ministries  viz.  MHA,  AICTE,  UGC,  NMC,  NCI,  etc.  of  the Government of India
- v. Institutions with 80%  admissions  consecutively for the last 5 academic years
- vi. HEIs with 30% of eligible courses of National Board of Accreditation (NBA) (having validity till 30 th April, 2025).

Regular  outreach  programs,  webinars  and  education  fairs  are  organized under  the  'Study  in  India'  programme  to  connect  with  potential  students from various countries.

- ii. University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  has  on  8 th November 2023 issued enabling  Regulations  to  facilitate  establishment  of  campuses  of  Foreign Higher Institutions  (FHEIs)  in  India.  UGC  has  also  issued  Regulations  in 2021  to  enable  Indian  Institutions  to  collaborate  with  FHEIs  to  offer Twinning, Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes. In order to promote Indian  education  abroad,  Institutions  of  Eminence  have  been  allowed  to establish  campuses  in  foreign  countries.  IIT  Madras  has  established  an offshore  campus  at  Zanzibar,  Tanzania  and  IIT  Delhi  has  established  a similar campus at Abu Dhabi, UAE.

In addition to the above, programs are also being launched at institutional level  by  IHEIs  for  facilitating  student  and  faculty  mobility,  establishing international partnerships for research, easing the processes for enrolment of foreign students in Indian institutions etc.

- iii. World-Class  Foreign  Universities  and  Institutions  have  been  allowed  to establish  their  campus  in  Gujarat  International  Finance  Tec-City  (GIFT City)  and  offer  courses  in  Financial  Management,  FinTech,  Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Deakin University and University of Wollongong from Australia have established their campus in GIFT City.

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