Summary
UGC allots up to 25 per cent of UG and PG supernumerary seats in Indian Higher Education Institutions to international students
India, through its higher education system, is looking to escalate its international outreach by attracting and welcoming the foreign students
University Grants Commission (UGC), in its 560th meeting held on 18 August 2022 has made a provision for supernumerary seats being offered to the International Students Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) courses in the Higher Education Institutions of India. The admission guidelines for them has also been improved.
Prof. M Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of UGC said, "Internationalisation of higher education is an essential aspect of the National Education Policy 2020 and helps in integrating the international and intercultural dimensions in higher education."
The National Education Policy (NEP) is the first education policy of this century and it replaced the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education. The new policy aims to take forward India’s higher education system focusing on cardinal issues like holistic multidisciplinary, equity, prominence of regional languages and value-based education.
India, through its higher education system, is looking to escalate its international outreach by attracting and welcoming the foreign students. According to Prof. Kumar the approved UGC admission guidelines will facilitate a smooth and simple admission procedure for international students to higher educational institutions in India, making it a preferred destination for the international students to pursue higher education.
He further added, Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) will be permitted to admit international students using a transparent admission process as is done by the foreign universities and that these students will not have to go through the usual entrance process applicable in India so far.According to reports, HEIs may create up to 25 per cent supernumerary seats for international students, over and above their total sanctioned enrolment for UG and PG courses. The decision regarding the allotment of seats has to be carried out by the senior authorities of HEIs as per the guidelines issued by the regulatory bodies keeping in mind the infrastructure, faculty and other requirements.
The 25 per cent supernumerary seats allotted to international students will exclude those students enrolled in exchange programmes or through Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between institutions or the government of India and those of other countries. Any seat remaining vacant in the supernumerary category will not be assigned to other non-international student.
Details regarding the number of seats available for international students in each programme/course, fee prescribed for the same, admission process, eligibility conditions etc. shall all be made available on the official website of the HEI.
Last updated on 20 Aug 2022
