Lack of law hits foreign universities in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: Despite claims of governments already inking pacts with foreign universities to set up campuses in the country, the latter still can’t do so unless a clear regulatory legal framework is created by Parliament by passing the Foreign Universities Bill. About 631 foreign educators are operating in the country but none of them have a campus of their own.

Recently, the higher education department of Andhra Pradesh inked a pact with the National University of Singapore for collaboration, training of faculty, joint degree programmes and research collaboration. The possibility of National University of Singapore setting up a campus and a School of Public Policy was also a part of the meeting’s agenda.

But despite the pact between the two sides, National University of Singapore can’t set up a campus on its own in Andhra Pradesh until a legal framework for foreign universities to operate in the country is passed.

Even then the foreign university would have to obtain approvals from the Union Human Resources Department ministry in New Delhi.

“We were trying to look at the possibility of National University of Singapore setting up a campus in Andhra University. But without Parliament passing a law on this it is not possible. The NDA government is now working towards this,” an official of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) said.

Foreign universities can operate in the country only as a non-profit institution under Section 25 of the Companies Act. Essentially, it wouldn’t be a university campus but just an office without a clear agenda. But joint collaborative programmes are possible under University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.