UGC bars foreign universities from offering courses under franchise arrangement

UGC noted that edtech companies that are giving advertisements for offering degree and diploma programmes in online modes in association with some foreign universities/institutions, are not permissible under the franchise agreement and any such programme or degree will not have UGC recognition.

University Grant Commission (UGC) has mandated that no foreign higher educational institution (HEI) will offer any programme in India without the prior approval of the commission.

The regulations also mandate that the HEls shall not offer programmes under any franchise arrangement and that such programmes shall not be recognised by the UGC. This includes Twinning Programmes, Joint Degree, and Dual Degree Programmes.

“University Grants Commission has observed and has been informed that many HEls/colleges have entered into collaborative agreements/arrangements with foreign-based educational institutions/providers not recognized by the Commission and have been facilitating the issuance of degrees to the students enrolled in those institutions/college from such foreign-based educational,” the notice by UGC read.

“Any such kind of collaboration/ arrangement is not recognized by the University Grants Commission and accordingly the degrees issued subsequent to such collaboration arrangement are also not recognized by the Commission,” it added.

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UGC also noted that edtech companies that are giving advertisements for offering degree and diploma programmes in online modes in association with some foreign universities/institutions, are not permissible under the franchise agreement and any such programme or degree will not have UGC recognition.

“Action will also be taken against all the defaulting EdTech companies as well as the HEls under applicable laws/rules/regulations. Therefore, Students/general public are advised to exercise due caution and are made aware that such courses/programmes/degrees do not have UGC recognition and that they would be doing at their own risk and consequences,” the notice said.

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