As per the new guidelines, all the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) across India will now be permitted to create up to 25 per cent supernumerary seats for foreign students and will have to adopt a transparent admission process for them, University Grants Commission (UGC) stated on Friday, September 30.
The draft 'Guidelines for Admission and Supernumerary seats of International Students in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes in Higher Educational Institutions in India' was put in the public domain last month for seeking feedback and has been notified now, as stated in a report by PTI.
Further, the guidelines read, "HEIs may create up to 25 pc supernumerary seats for international students, over and above of their total sanctioned enrolment for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes."
"The decision regarding supernumerary seats has to be carried out by the concerned higher educational institutions as per specific guidelines and regulations issued by the regulatory bodies considering the infrastructure, faculty and other requirements," it added.
"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 UGC for such purpose or the concerned regulatory bodies of the country. HEIs may adopt a transparent admission process for admitting the international students," the guidelines said.
Similarly, explaining the criteria for admitting foreign students, UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar told PTI, "Universities are free to choose the admission policy for foreign students. UGC has not stipulated any such entrance examination for admitting foreign students."
Supernumerary seats
The UGC clarified that these seats will not include the international students under exchange programmes or/and through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between institutions or between the Government of India and other countries. Moreover, it said the unfilled seats will not be allotted to any others as they are exclusively for foreign students both in the undergraduate and post-graduate programmes.
"A seat remained unfilled in the supernumerary category, shall not be allocated to anyone other than an international student. International students in this context shall be defined as the one who shall possess a foreign passport," the guidelines read.
Who will govern these seats? "Supernumerary seats for PhD programmes shall be governed by the regulations notified by the UGC from time to time in this regard. All HEIs shall have an 'Office for International Students'."
What about other details?
As per the guidelines issued, "All details regarding number of seats available for international students in each programme, fee prescribed for the same, admission process, eligibility conditions etc. shall be made available on the website of the HEI."
