Lok Sabha Question No. 3575 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-11
Subject: Multidisciplinary Education and Research University (MERU)
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3575 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025

## Multidisciplinary Education and Research University (MERU)

3575.  Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne:

Smt. Bharti Pardhi:

Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  progress  on  the  establishment  of  Multidisciplinary  Education  and  Research Universities  (MERUs) and the implementation of the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) system in higher education institutions across the Country, particularly in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh;
- (b) whether the Government is facilitating international collaborations and the entry of top ranked global Universities as envisioned under National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, while  ensuring  equitable  access  to  students  from  socio-economically  marginalized segment of the country, particularly in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh; and
- (c) the measures taken by the Government to enhance the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of  students  from  marginalized  segment  in  Higher  Education  across  the  country, particularly in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh?

## ANSWER

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

(a): In  alignment  with  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020,  the  government  has launched the third phase of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in June 2023 in  the  form  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Uchchatar  Shiksha Abhiyan  (PM-USHA) for the period 2023-24  to  2025-26  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  12926.10  crore,  including  the  committed liabilities of the earlier phases of RUSA, to cater to the needs of educationally unserved/ underserved areas. Under the Multi-Disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU) component of PM-USHA, 35 Universities (including 3 Universities in Madhya Pradesh and 4 Universities in Maharashtra) have been approved.

To  further  facilitate  smooth  student  mobility  and  credit  transfer,  the  Government  has launched the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) initiative. ABC facilitates formalising credit recognition,  accumulation  and  transfer.  Under  the  ABC  system,  a  12-digit  unique identifier,  Automated  Permanent  Academic  Account  Registry  (APAAR)  ID  has  been created for seamless interaction amongst the stakeholders of the education ecosystem and to effectively map the lifelong journey of the learners.

(b):  In  line  with  the  NEP  2020,  the  UGC  has  issued 'University  Grants  Commission (Setting  up  and  Operation  of  Campuses  of  Foreign  Higher  Educational  Institutions  in India) Regulations, 2023' in November, 2023 to facilitate the establishment of campuses of  the  Foreign  Higher  Education  Institutions  (FHEIs)  in  India.  These  regulations  are available at https://fhei.ugc.ac.in/Downloads/Regulations.pdf.

Under the Regulation 2023, UGC has issued Letter of Intent to 12 Foreign HEIs from Australia, Italy, United Kingdom, USA to open their campuses at various places in India including Gurugram (Haryana), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Noida/Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh). University of Southampton has already established its campus in Gurugram, Haryana.

Furthermore, world-class Foreign Universities and Institutions can set up their  branch campuses in GIFT City as per the criteria and standards laid down in the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) (Setting up and Operation of International Branch  Campuses  and  Offshore  Education  Centers)  Regulations,  2022 ,  issued  in October, 2022. These regulations are available at https://ifsca.gov.in/Document/Legal/ifsca-ibc-and-oec-regulations202213102022113639.pdf.

Two Australian universities namely, Deakin University and University of Wollongong have established offshore branch campuses and are offering courses in GIFT City, Gujarat under the Regulations, 2022 mentioned above.

(c): As per the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2022-23 (provisional), the Gross  Enrolment  Ratio  (GER)  of  Higher  Education  at  the  national  level  is  29.5. Furthermore, the Government has taken various measures to increase the GER in Higher Education sector across the country including in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, such as opening of more HEIs; implementing various Scholarship and Fellowship schemes for providing financial assistance to students including for SC/ST/OBC; providing flexible exit as well as re-entry options in Higher Education system; providing anytime, anywhere learning opportunities for all learners through Study Webs for Active Learning for Young Aspiring  Minds  (SWAYAM)  platform;  and  conducting  JEE,  NEET  (UG)  and  Common University  Entrance  Test  (CUET)  Exams  in  13  languages,  to  facilitate  students, particularly from vernacular/rural background.

*****