Congress MP Digvijay Singh speaks within the Rajya Sabha. File
| Picture Credit score: ANI

India is but to safe a campus from any of the main world universities, together with Ivy League establishments, and may make efforts for it, a Parliamentary panel has famous.

The panel headed by Congress MP Digvijay Singh made the observations in its report tabled within the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.

“The Committee notes that in recent times, there was a notable pattern of overseas universities establishing campuses in India which is pushed by India’s huge pupil market and the federal government’s efforts to extend collaborations and joint levels.

“Nevertheless, India is but to safe a campus from any of the main world universities (the Ivy Leagues, New York College, Carnegie Mellon College, and many others). The Committee recommends that the Division of Increased Training ought to make efforts to safe the identical to allow larger entry to the very best of world assets for college kids inside the nation,” the report stated.

Ivy League is a bunch of long-established universities within the U.S. having excessive tutorial credentials and fame. It consists of universities reminiscent of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia.

The College Grants Fee (UGC) had in 2023 introduced organising and operation of Campuses of International Increased Instructional Establishments in India Laws.

Whereas the UK’s Southampton College is within the technique of organising its campus in India this yr, two Australian universities — Deakin and Wollongong — have already got campuses within the Gujarat Worldwide Finance Tec-Metropolis (GIFT Metropolis).

Queen’s College Belfast and Coventry College, have additionally obtained approval for organising campuses in GIFT metropolis. To date no U.S. college has an offshore campus in India.

‘Attracting overseas college students’

The panel famous that Examine in India (SII) was launched in 2018 and goals to draw overseas college students by selling Indian larger schooling ecosystem at a worldwide platform.

“The Committee was knowledgeable that the Division is focusing on the international locations in South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia, Center East and Africa for globalising larger schooling platform. To facilitate this, UGC has issued already a suggestion the place as much as 25 per cent seats may be created as supernumerary seats for overseas college students. Moreover, it has additionally issued tips for organising places of work of worldwide affairs in larger schooling establishments and in addition the alumni join cells,” it stated.

“It was knowledgeable {that a} scheme for promotion of educational and analysis is being collaborated which is principally to assist the joint analysis proposals between Indian larger schooling establishments and a overseas larger schooling establishments the place professors of 1 Indian establishment collaborate with the professors of a overseas establishments and work collectively on a challenge,” the report stated.

The panel famous that 28 nations underneath this scheme, together with U.S., U.Ok., Germany, Australia and France have been taken aboard.

“This covers essential nationwide strategic curiosity areas, like vital and rising expertise, vitality and sustainability, meals safety, well being care and business. Already 787 such joint proposals have been accepted,” it stated.

“On this, there was progress within the type of variety of worldwide conferences, workshops and the final articles that are printed collectively by Indian professors and overseas professors,” it stated.