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According to UGC Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar, African and Gulf nations, Thailand, and Vietnam are among the potential destinations for Indian universities to establish their offshore campuses. In a month, the regulations for the same will be announced. In an interview with PTI, Kumar stated that a number of countries are stepping forward to offer infrastructure to Indian universities looking to establish campuses abroad, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) will assist the institutions in selecting the countries where they can do so. “We have in India huge university ecosystem. There are outstanding universities, both in central government, state government funded and private universities. We want to encourage these varsities to set up their campuses abroad. Some countries where they are coming forward to provide the infrastructure to our universities to set up their campus.” “We have countries where we have large Indian diaspora who want our campuses to come and provide education,” he said. Kumar said, “several African countries,” when asked about the nations that have showed interest in welcoming Indian universities. “There is huge potential for setting up campuses in African countries. Thailand, Vietnam and few Gulf countries… there is immense interest and the opportunities are immense too. It is just that we have not had any enabling regulations so far,” he added. The Middle-East and South Asian countries have been requesting to establish their campuses at a number of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). IIT Madras is looking into opportunities in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Tanzania, while IIT Delhi is considering opening a campus in the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, IIT campuses are planned for Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia, and the UK. “IITs are known as institutions of national importance, they function under IIT Council. It has its own rules and regulations under which they can set up their own campuses. Already some IITs are working on that,” he said. Last month, the UGC stated that foreign universities would be able to establish campuses in India for the first time and revealed draft regulations that would allow these universities to manage their admissions policies, fee schedule, and fee repatriation. According to Kumar, the final norms, which will take into account the views from stakeholders, would also be released in a month. Because of the potential benefits to our students, this UGC regulation to allow campuses of foreign educational institutions in India is widely discussed in our country. A finalisation of the rules is now taking place. “We also had discussions with various foreign universities delegations which have visited UGC, we have put draft for feedback and have received very good feedback. In another month or so, we will be able to release the final regulations,” he said. When the ministries of external affairs and home affairs issued no objection certificates, the UGC amended its regulations in 2021 to permit Institutes of Eminence to establish campuses abroad. Source: PTI

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has given candidates seeking to become assistant professors a significant relief. The prerequisite of having a PhD at the time of recruitment has been removed. For the benefit of students and faculty, UGC has made a number of modifications to education and the recruiting process in recent years. The statement was made by UGC Chairman Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar. According to the UGC chairman, clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET) is sufficient to become an assistant professor. At the opening ceremony for the UGC-HRDC building that was just built at Osmania University, Jagadesh made the announcement. The UGC shared the announcement via the official Twitter handle. The UGC chairman had already notified the PBNS that two Australian universities will be opening campuses in India. It is a step in the nation’s higher education system’s internationalisation process. Two Australian universities have announced plans to establish campuses at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), he said, adding that Deakin University, a prestigious Australian institution, is the first foreign university to receive approval from the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) to establish an International Branch Campus (IBC) in GIFT-IFSC. It’s important to note that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to make it possible for the best universities in the world to operate in the nation. The UGC released a draft regulation in January addressing ‘Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) in India.’ The draft discussed building a legislative framework to grant interested international universities exceptional exemptions from regulatory, governance, and content criteria on par with other autonomous institutions of India. Since the draft regulations were released two months ago, there has already been an increase in activity related to international universities in India.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur’s Department of Civil Engineering will introduce the country’s first-ever online post-graduate programme in construction engineering. The programme is a brand-new addition to the institution’s eMasters degree programme. “Sustainable construction practises and project management” are its main objectives. The curriculum, created by faculty at IIT Kanpur and business professionals, intends to meet the demands of India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure and construction industries. According to the official information, “This programme aims to equip practising civil engineers and architects with the knowledge and skills to manage projects effectively, using minimum resources and energy requirements, and with a minimum carbon footprint.” It will cover a wide range of topics such as green building materials, sustainable design and construction, project management, and finance for sustainable projects. Applicants who apply to the programme have a choice of one to three years to finish their degrees. The official statement stated, “The Senate-approved degree programme is inclusive of IIT Kanpur campus visit, mentorship, and career support.” At the moment, IIT Kanpur is offering nine eMasters programmes. The application procedure for this programme will begin at the end of March, and the programme will be inaugurated in July. For more information, candidates should continue to check the official website, emasters.iitk.ac.in.

On the 107th birth anniversary of politician Biju Patnaik, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the establishment of a health university in the state on Sunday. The university will be established in Bhubaneshwar. According to a notification released by the Health and Family Welfare Department, beginning with the academic year 2023–2024, all medical and allied health science colleges and institutions would be associated with the Odisha University of Health Sciences. According to an official, starting with the 2023–24 academic year, all colleges that offer undergraduate and postgraduate level health sciences courses, including modern medicine, ayurveda, homoeopathy, nursing, pharmacy, and physiotherapy, would now fall under the purview of the university. According to him, the Odisha government had previously made the decision to establish the health university in order to organise the state’s fragmented medical education system. The Odisha University of Health Sciences Act was passed by the assembly in October 2021 and notified by the government on August 14, 2022.

In order to facilitate the movement of professionals and students between India and Australia, the two nations inked a framework agreement for the mutual recognition of qualifications. The agreement was signed on Thursday during a meeting in Delhi between Australia’s Jason Clare and India’s Dharmendra Pradhan, minister of education. The agreement is a result of the prime ministers of both nations’ commitment to form a joint task force for mutual recognition of qualifications at the 2nd India-Australia Virtual Summit, which was held on March 21, 2022. According to Pradhan, Australia and India are working together to raise the importance of the knowledge pillar in their bilateral relations. According to Clare, the Australian government will provide $1.89 million to conduct an agriculture-related skill development programme in India, a crucial sector for the nation. He continued by saying that Australia is making it a high priority to expedite the issuance of education visas to Indian students. Both ministers emphasised to the audience that this collaboration is a two-way street allowing students from both nations to immigrate and pursue the courses of their choice. When asked how many Australian students are interested in attending an Indian university, Clare responded, “The number of Australian students showing interest to study in India is very small and it’s not big enough… One of the things we spoke about this morning in our meeting is what steps can we take to encourage more Australians to come and study here.” The Australian government sent five students to Odisha’s Centurion University in January to enrol in a textile course there.

Jason Clare, the Australian minister of education, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday for a four-day official visit to develop institutional partnerships and advance bilateral collaborations. According to a release from the Union ministry of education, during his tour, Jason will attend with his Indian counterpart Dharmendra Pradhan in a student engagement programme and a number of meetings to advance bilateral ties between India and Australia in the field of education. Jason was invited by Pradhan while he was in Australia in August of last year. Jason and Pradhan will sign the mechanism for the mutual recognition of qualifications, which “locks in the rules for mutual recognition to access education in both our countries,” according to a statement from Jason’s office. According to the statement, “This will be the broadest and most favourable recognition agreement India has signed with another country and will enhance student mobility between both countries.” The initiative between Gujarat International Financial Tec-City (GIFT City) and the University of Wollongong in Australia is described as “a good example of a partnership which builds skills and capacity to tackle future challenges,” the statement mentioned. It’s expected that the university will establish a campus in GIFT city. The establishment of foreign university campuses in Gandhinagar’s GIFT City, free from local regulations, was announced by the government last year in an effort to increase the supply of skilled manpower for the financial services industry. Pradhan invited Australian universities and skilling institutions to explore the possibilities of opening campuses in India and potential areas of collaboration with their Indian counterparts while he was visiting Australia. “The visit provides an important opportunity for Australian universities to showcase new partnerships and plans which they can deliver in India, including opportunities for joint degrees and campuses,” the statement added

The 99th convocation of Delhi University took place today, February 25, 2023. DU awarded 1,57,290 undergraduate and postgraduate students with degrees this year. During the DU convocation 2023, 910 PhD degrees were also awarded. Today at 11 a.m., DU held its 99th annual convocation. The chief guest during the convocation was President Droupadi Murmu. Dharmendra Pradhan, the union minister for education, attended as the guest of honor. The university’s record for PhD degrees has been surpassed by the DU Convocation 2023. According to a DU official, this year will see the awarding of 910 Doctorate degrees, which is the most PhDs that have ever been awarded at any university in the nation. “About 910 students will be awarded PhD degrees. The figure is the highest in the history of the university. In fact, it is the highest number of PhD degrees awarded by any university in the country so far,” an official told PTI. 99th Annual Convocation (February 25, 2023) pic.twitter.com/VZ6Cqq0uN9 — University of Delhi (@UnivofDelhi) February 25, 2023 There are 398 male and 512 female Ph.D. scholars in total. Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh of Delhi University presided over the convocation this year. The multipurpose hall of the sports complex was the venue for the event. According to a statement released by DU, 170 students will receive medals or prizes at the ceremony. On this occasion, 1,57,290 undergraduate and graduate students will get digital degrees. 47 Doctorate of Medicine /Master of Chirurgiae (M.Ch.) students will receive degrees in the medical field. In terms of the overall number of digital degrees awarded, 45.3% of students were male and 54.7% were female.

The fake sample papers for classes 10 and 12 that are being circulated online have been brought to the attention of students, teachers, and other stakeholders, according to a notice released today by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). According to the CBSE, “certain unscrupulous elements” have created a link and are circulating 30 sample papers for classes 10 and 12 while demanding payment to download them. “All stakeholders are hereby cautioned to be extremely careful and not respond to any such fake messages and website links,” stated the notice. The CBSE further stated that free sample papers are available on the website. According to the notice, “The Board does not charge any fees from any students or parents for downloading sample papers.” The fake link that the CBSE has identified is cbse.support/sp. The board stated that anyone who wants to learn more about the exams can go to the official website, cbse.gov.in. The CBSE has already raised concerns about situations where miscreants attempted to defraud students of their money by setting up a fake website under the pretence of giving admit cards. Before the exams, fake exam schedules for classes 10 and 12 were also made public.

The Learning-Teaching Material (Jaadui Pitara) for Foundational Stage was launched by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today, February 20, 2023, at 10.30 a.m. in Dr. Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC), New Delhi. According to recent updates, viewers can watch the Learning-Teaching Material (Jaadui Pitara) for Foundational Stage live on PMeVIDYA DTH TV Channels and on the NCERT official YouTube channel. “It is an innovative, child-centric learning pedagogy that will prepare young children for the life-long journey of learning and fulfil one of the most vital recommendations of new National Education Policy (NEP),” Pradhan said at the launch” A child-centric, innovative, toy-based learning experience called “Jaadui Pitara” is intended to help students between the ages of 3 and 8 develop their conceptual knowledge. Earlier in a tweet the Minister wrote, “Looking forward to launch and unbox the #JaaduiPitara. It is an innovative, child-centric learning pedagogy that will prepare young children for the life-long journey of learning and fulfil one of the most vital recommendations of NEP. Stay tuned for more!” Looking forward to launch and unbox the #JaaduiPitara. It is an innovative, child-centric learning pedagogy that will prepare young children for the life-long journey of learning and fulfil one of the most vital recommendations of NEP. Stay tuned for more! https://t.co/bEc41SA3i8 — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) February 20, 2023

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) appointed Dr. Abhay Jere as vice chairman on February 10. He took charge of the organisation on February 14 at the AICTE headquarters in Delhi. At the government’s Ministry of Human Resources Development, Dr. Abhay Jere served as the Chief Innovation Officer. Dr. Abhay Jere is appointed for a period of three years, or until reaching the age of 65, or until further orders, whichever comes first. A network of Innovation Councils was made possible in large part by Dr. Abhay Jere. Indian Innovation Councils (IICs) have been established under the Ministry of Education in 6500 educational institutions to support the development of local innovation ecosystems in these institutions while fostering the creation of their own startups during research. Recently, he has played a key role in designing an innovative MBA programme in “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” offered by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Dr. Jere, a regular columnist for prominent English and local newspapers, is committed to enlightening Indians about the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship. Also, he created the “India First Leadership” Talk Series, which will broadcast on Lok Sabha TV.