UGC Issues Warning Regarding Courses Offered by Foreign Universities And EdTech Platforms

UGC has observed and has been informed that many HEls have entered into collaborative agreements/arrangements with foreign-based educational institutions/providers not recognised by the Commission.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has cautioned students against enrolling in courses offered by universities or Ed-tech companies collaborating with foreign institutions that lack recognition from the commission. The UGC Regulations mandate that Foreign Higher Educational Institutions cannot offer any programmes in India without prior approval from the UGC. Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are prohibited from providing programmes through franchise arrangements and such programmes will not receive recognition from the UGC.

"UGC has observed and has been informed that many HEls/colleges have entered into collaborative agreements/arrangements with foreign-based educational institutions/providers not recognised by the Commission and have been facilitating the issuance of degrees to the students enrolled in those institutions/college from such foreign-based educational institutions/educational providers," said UGC in a notification.

Any such collaboration/arrangement is not recognised by the University Grants Commission and accordingly the degrees issued subsequent to such collaboration arrangement are also not recognised by the commission, the notification added. 

Under the regulations, foreign higher education institutions must secure UGC approval before establishing a campus in India. Commission permission is mandatory for any foreign institution offering programmes in the country. Additionally, the regulations strictly prohibit educational institutions from providing programmes through franchise arrangements, with such programmes not receiving recognition from the UGC.

Highlighting the issue of "unrecognized degrees" resulting from collaborations between EdTech companies and foreign universities, the UGC stated, "It has also come to the notice of UGC that some EdTech companies are giving advertisements in newspapers social media television etc offering degree and diploma programmes in online modes in association with some foreign universities/institutions. Such a franchisee arrangement is not permissible and any such programme/degree shall not have UGC recognition."

The commission has mandated the enforcement of actions against all non-compliant EdTech companies and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under the relevant laws, rules and regulations.

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