NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified a new set of regulations for equivalence of qualifications earned in foreign institutions.
It has developed a technology-driven mechanism for recognising foreign qualifications from schools and higher education institutes.
There was concern among a number of Indian students returning from abroad with international degrees, often facing delays and uncertainty in getting their degrees recognised either for admission to Indian institutions or for employment.
A qualification from a foreign educational institution will be recognised for grant of equivalence certificate provided the institution is recognised under the relevant laws in its home country.
The candidate must have pursued the programme of study as per the norms and standards specified by the institution and the entry level requirements for admission to such programmes must be similar to that of a corresponding programme in India.
The standing committee will decide on the requirements for grant of equivalence on parameters such as credits, thesis, dissertation, hands-on experiential learning and internship requirement, among others.
UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said, “Many students return with international qualifications to seamlessly integrate into India’s higher education system or workforce. Such students need a structured procedure to evaluate foreign credentials without unpredictable delays and procedural ambiguity.”
He said that acknowledging this challenge, the UGC had decided to establish a standardised equivalence framework by bringing in a new regulation.
The provisions for granting equivalence certificates to foreign qualifications will not apply to professional degrees awarded in disciplines such as medicine, pharmacy, nursing, law, architecture and other fields that fall under the jurisdiction of statutory regulatory councils in India.
“The UGC has developed a transparent, technology-driven mechanism for recognising foreign qualifications from schools and higher education institutes. This move is crucial, given the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of transforming India into a global study destination. If Indian institutions are to attract international students, we must ensure fair recognition of degrees earned abroad. By addressing a long-standing issue, the UGC has taken a decisive step through this significant reform towards making India’s higher education system more inclusive, competitive and future-ready,” Kumar added.