Higher Education Institutions Welcome Foreign Varsity Bill

Seeking to mitigate any threat posed by foreign varsity campuses in India, higher educational institutions, including IITs and IIMs, have welcomed government’s nod to bring legislation in the parliament that will allow entry of foreign education providers, reports said.

Only yesterday, Union Cabinet approved the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010 and these institutions seem quite positive about prospects of foreign varsities entering in India.

“At the level of IITs, we welcome such a move. We have no apprehension about the entry of such institutions,” Prof Gautam Baruah, Director IIT Guwahati, was quoted as saying.

About possibility of IIT and IIM faculty joining the foreign institutions, he said that some faculty could join then but a majority of them would like to continue with the IITs, said report.

“Money is not the only matter which would attract the faculty. A right environment is important. It takes huge time and effort in setting up a institute of IIT standards. It will take years for them to come to that level,” he was quoted as saying.

“There may be some faculty who will join the foreign institutions. But that will not be an issue,” Baruah was quoted as saying.

Prof Devi Singh, IIM Lucknow Director, said that it was a good step and would help bring internationally acclaimed education providers to India, said reports.

“It is important that the foreign institutions entering India offer the same degrees and diplomas that they are offering back home. This will help ensure that the certification provided by them in India will have the same value internationally as their current qualification,” Singh was quoted as saying.

He stressed that they had to pursue the same curriculum and quality of education they impart in their own countries, reports said.

Delhi University Vice Chancellor Prof Deepak Pental said that there was nothing to worry about the entry of foreign institutions to India.

“This will help Indian institutions to come up to global education standard. Indian institutions have better human resource and government is supporting quiet well,” he was quoted as saying.

He, too, did not rule out some faculty joining the foreign institutions.