The University Grants Commission (UGC) has invited comments and suggestions on guidelines for the admission and supernumerary seats of international students in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes in Higher Educational Institutions in India.
In order to facilitate the 'internationalisation of Indian HEIs', the University Grants Commission has framed the guidelines for the admission and the creation of supernumerary seats for international students.
These guidelines have been framed to facilitate a smooth and simple admission process for international students. The guidelines have been prepared to create a favourable environment for attracting international students to Indian higher education system and make India a preferred destination for international students.
Have a look on the guidelines
• Indian HEIs may admit international students based on the equivalence of entry qualification held by them. The equivalence is to be determined by the University Grants Commission (UGC) or any other body recognised by UGC for such purpose or the concerned regulatory bodies of the country. HEIs may adopt a transparent admission process for admitting the international students.
• HEIs may create up to 25% supernumerary seats for international students, over and above of their total sanctioned enrolment for Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes. The decision regarding 25% supernumerary seats has to be carried out by the concerned higher educational institutions as per specific guidelines/regulations issued by the regulatory bodies considering the infrastructure, faculty and other requirements.
• The 25% of the supernumerary seats for international students will not include the international students under exchange programmes or/and through Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between institutions or between Government of India and other countries.
• Depending on the availability of infrastructure and qualified faculty, efforts should be made to distribute these 25% seats among all departments, schools, centres or any other academic unit of the higher educational institution, wherever possible.
• The supernumerary seats shall be exclusively meant for the international students both in the Undergraduate and Post-graduate programmes. A seat remained unfilled in the supernumerary category, shall not be allocated to anyone other than an international student. International students in this context shall be defined as the one who shall possess a foreign passport.
• The provision of creating supernumerary seats for international students should be formalized by way of approval of statutory body/bodies of the HEIs in accordance with the guidelines/regulations issued by the regulatory bodies from time to time.
• The supernumerary seats in professional and technical institutes shall be governed by the respective statutory bodies.
• Supernumerary seats for Ph.D. programmes shall be governed by the Regulations notified by the University Grants Commission from time to time in this regard.
• All HEIs shall have an ‘Office for International Students’. Year-wise details, i.e., country, number, programme/subject, duration etc., regarding the international students in the HEI be maintained by it and be made available on their website.
• All details regarding number of seats available for international students in each programme, fee prescribed for the same, admission process, eligibility conditions etc. shall be made available on the website of the HEI.
• All existing rules/provisions notified by Government of India regarding visa/ Foreign Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) etc. shall be followed by the HEIs.