UGC grants foreign students 25% extra seats, scraps entrance test

PTI

New Delhi, August 21

Universities and higher education institutions across the country will now be allowed to create up to 25 per cent supernumerary seats for foreign students in their undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Jagadesh Kumar has said.

Conditions for admission

• Seats will be exclusively meant for the international students both in the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes
• International students shall be defined as those who possess foreign passport
• If a seat remains vacant in the supernumerary category, it shall not be allocated to anyone other than an international student

International outreach

Internationalisation of higher education is an essential aspect of the National Education Policy 2020. It will help in integrating the international and intercultural dimensions in higher education. — Jagadesh Kumar, UGC Chairman

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23,439 foreign students came in 2021

75,000 arrived in 2019

* MEA data

There will be no entrance tests for these admissions, Kumar said, noting the decision was taken at a meeting of the UGC held last week to discuss “internationalisation of UG and PG programmes in India”. The supernumerary seats will be created over and above the total sanctioned strength and the decision regarding these seats will be taken by higher educational institutions (HEIs) concerned according to specific guidelines and regulations issued by the regulatory bodies considering the infrastructure, faculty and other requirements.

“Indian HEIs may admit international students based on the equivalence of entry qualification held by them. The equivalence is to be determined by the UGC or any other body recognised by commission for such purpose or the regulatory bodies concerned. HEIs may adopt a transparent admission process for admitting the international students,” Kumar said. “HEIs may create up to 25 per cent supernumerary seats for international students, over and above of their total sanctioned enrolment for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

“The decision regarding 25 per cent supernumerary seats has to be carried out by the higher educational institutions concerned as per specific guidelines/regulations issued by the regulatory bodies considering the infrastructure, faculty and other requirements,” he said.

#University Grant Commission UGC