Minister of State for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar on Monday informed the Lok Sabha that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has received an application from Lincoln University College, Malaysia, expressing interest in setting up a campus in Telangana.
Responding to queries raised by nine Members of Parliament regarding the presence of foreign universities seeking to establish campuses in India, the minister outlined the actions undertaken by the government to facilitate such endeavours.
The minister's response highlighted the regulations governing the eligibility and approval process for Foreign Higher Education Institutions (FHEIs) intending to establish campuses in India. These regulations include provisions for offering scholarships, both merit-based and need-based, as well as tuition fee concessions for Indian students. Moreover, measures have been included in these regulations to prevent the misappropriation of philanthropic resources and ensure compliance with internal and external standards for philanthropic operations.
The UGC has formed a five-member committee to review the university's application.
In the 2022-23 budget, the Finance Ministry announced initiatives to attract world-class foreign universities and institutions to Gujarat International Finance Tech-City (GIFT City). These entities would be permitted to offer courses in various fields such as Financial Management, FinTech, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, exempt from domestic regulations, barring those enforced by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
Furthermore, the minister informed that Deakin University and the University of Wollongong from Australia have secured approval from IFSCA to establish their campuses in GIFT City.
As per the regulatory guidelines, Foreign Higher Education Institutions (FHEIs) seeking to establish campuses in India must either rank within the top 500 globally in overall rankings, in subject-specific rankings, or demonstrate exceptional expertise in a particular field.