Resist & Defeat: Teachers Associations Oppose UGCs Draft Norms Allowing Foreign Universities In India

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'Resist & Defeat': Teachers' Associations Oppose UGC's Draft Norms Allowing Foreign Universities In India

The associations urged everyone to "resist and defeat this undermining of our sovereignty". University Grants Commission (UGC) released the proposed regulations for establishing and running campuses of foreign higher education institutions in India.

Opposing the centre's newly drafted regulations allowing foreign universities to establish campuses in the country, the teachers' associations have expressed their concerns and said that it would lead to the commercialisation of educational institutions. The associations urged students, teachers, parents, and residents to "resist and defeat this undermining of our sovereignty".

University Grants Commission (UGC) released the proposed regulations for establishing and running campuses of foreign higher education institutions in the country. For the first time, foreign universities would be allowed to establish campuses in India following the proposed regulations.

For The Benefit Of Coaching Institutes Rather Than Students

According to a statement from the Academic for Action and Development Delhi Teachers' Association (AADTA), the AAP's teachers wing, the UGC has opened the doors for international institutions for the benefit of coaching institutes rather than students. The AADTA statement read, "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".

The Democratic Teachers' Federation (DTF) meanwhile claimed that the move should be opposed since the inevitable next step of any such policy will be to permit blatant profit-making in higher education. According to the DTF, the government promotes fallacious dreams of obtaining an "Ivy League education at a reasonable price."

The federation stated that the reality is far from that as these foreign colleges will give education at costs unattainable for the vast majority of our population as they will have unrestricted control over curriculum, fee structures, and instructor pay.

A Debatable Move!

The UGC had announced draught regulations to make it easier for foreign universities and educational institutions to open campuses in the country. These regulations include a 90-day clearance process and provide the institutions autonomy in setting their own rates. A foreign university ranked among the top 500 universities worldwide or a foreign educational institution that enjoys good standing in its home country may apply to the UGC to set up a campus in India.

According to NDTV, following the announcement, UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said that it would assist in satisfying the 'great desire' of Indian students and give them access to affordable international degrees. In a tweet, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Niti Aayog, Amitabh Kant, also appreciated the new regulations.

The goal of the UGC's latest draft regulations on Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEI) is to provide foreign branch campuses in India complete freedom in terms of cost structure, admission policy, and hiring foreign teachers. The move has received mixed signals so far.

Also Read: UGC Notifies New Regulations On Doctorate Study, No Research Work & Part-Time PhD Among Other Changes

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