25% supernumerary seats for foreign students in HEIs, no entrance exam for UG, PG courses: UGC Chairman

The supernumerary seats will be created over and above the total sanctioned strength and the decision regarding these seats will be taken by concerned higher educational institutions (HEIs) according to specific guidelines and regulations issued by the regulatory bodies considering the infrastructure, faculty and other requirements.

25% supernumerary seats for foreign students in HEIs, no entrance exam for UG, PG courses: UGC Chairman

The University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Jagadesh Kumar has said that the Universities and higher education institutions in the country will now be allowed to creat up to 25 per cent supernumerary seats for foreign students in their undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses. 

He further said that there will be no entrance tests for these admissions and the decision regarding the same was taken during a meeting of the UGC held last week to discuss internationalisation of UG and PG programmes in India.

"The supernumerary seats will be created over and above the total sanctioned strength and the decision regarding these seats will be taken by concerned higher educational institutions (HEIs) according to specific guidelines and regulations issued by the regulatory bodies considering the infrastructure, faculty and other requirements," he said.

"Indian HEIs may admit international students based on the equivalence of entry qualification held by them. The equivalence is to be determined by 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," Kumar said as reported by an english daily.

"HEIs may create up to 25 per cent supernumerary seats for international students, over and above of their total sanctioned enrolment for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The decision regarding 25 per cent 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," he added.

It must be noted that the supernumerary seats for international students will not include the international students under the exchange prpgrammes and through Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between institutions or between Indian government and other countries. The Universities and colleges in the country will be allowed to admit international students using a transparent admission process as is done by the foreign universities and that these students do not have to go through the entrance process used for admissions in India.

"The seats shall be exclusively meant for the international students both in the undergraduate and postgraduate 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," Kumar explained.

"The commission has decided that the provision of creating supernumerary seats for international students should be formalised by way of approval of statutory body of the HEIs in accordance with the guidelines and 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. All details regarding the 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," he said. 

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