The Hindu : Panel to look into credentials of foreign varsities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 14, 2003

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Panel to look into credentials of foreign varsities

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD SEPT. 13. The University Grants Commission has constituted a committee of experts to look into the credentials of the foreign universities being established in the country, the UGC Vice-Chairman, V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, said here on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Pillai said that not even one per cent of the foreign universities operating here were maintaining international standards. The Committee had already examined 33 such universities and found that two universities from Australia and Canada which did not have any base or campus in their own country were planning to establish one here.

He said the problem of new foreign universities was not peculiar to India and many countries the world over were facing it. In Japan, a foreign university would have to be assessed and accredited to an apex accreditation body of that country before permission was granted.

Mr. Pillai said the Government was planning to bring an amendment to the UGC Act as a wide range of issues, including the control over foreign universities, the move by some Indian universities to start operations all over India, were needed to be addressed.

He suggested that the State Government should examine the credentials of foreign universities before allowing them to hold fairs or exhibitions in their States.

Another amendment to the UGC Act was also in the pipeline. This envisages the strengthening of regional UGC centres through decentralisation of administration. He said the just-concluded National Conference on "Autonomy to Colleges and Colleges with Potential for Excellence'' had recommended that the universities should promote the concept of autonomy.

He said there were 132 autonomous colleges in the country and clarified that granting autonomy to an institute did not mean that the Government would not pay salary for the staff.

"Under autonomous colleges we have several quality innovative schemes. Autonomy is only a decentralised academic activity''.

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