The Union Ministry of Education has informed Parliament that a private university in Malaysia has submitted an application to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish a campus in Telangana. This application was made following the opening of a portal by the UGC to invite applications for the establishment of campuses by Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) in India.
Responding to a question asked by nine members of the Lok Sabha regarding whether the government has received applications from foreign universities to establish campuses in India, Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar said, “An application has been received from Lincoln University College, Malaysia for setting up a campus in Telangana".
The minister stated that the UGC initiated the portal to solicit applications for establishing campuses of foreign higher educational institutions (FHEIs) in India in December 2023. This action followed the notification of the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of FHEIs in India) Regulations, 2023 on November 7, 2023.
In response to inquiries about the affordability of these foreign higher educational institutions (FHEIs) for Indian students, Sarkar mentioned that these institutions might offer full or partial scholarships based on merit or financial need. Additionally, they may provide tuition fee concessions to Indian citizens studying at their campuses. “Safeguards against misappropriation of philanthropic resources, and noncompliance with internal and external standards for philanthropic operations, have also been incorporated in these Regulations. These regulations stipulate compliance with the provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 for FHEIs to receive or utilize donations from any foreign sources", he said.
He added that the government has granted permission for world-class foreign universities and institutions to operate within the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). These institutions can offer courses in Financial Management, FinTech, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics without being bound by domestic regulations, except for those stipulated by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA). “Deakin University and the University of Wollongong from Australia have received in-principle approval from IFSCA to establish their campus in GIFT City", he added.
