Foreign Education Bill.

Please comment on Foreign Education Bill.

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• offer skill development programmes
• paradigm shift in higher education
• quality up gradation
• too much leeway to foreign universities
• no reservation - that would become out of bounds for economically and socially backward sections
• too much freedom to foreign institutions, government should instead improve existing universities
• regulate entry and operation of foreign educational institutions
• commercialisation of higher education in the country.
• foreign educational institutions operating in India should also maintain a corpus of not less than Rs 50 crore or a sum notified by the Central Government.
• Centre might refuse to recognise and notify a foreign educational institution
• lead to deterioration in quality and increased corruption in higher education.
• India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world with around 430 universities and 22,000 institutions of higher education.
• Higher education is private investment for private gain. In India, most of not-for-profit educational institutions are serving public interest for "private gain", thus making higher education unaffordable.(?)
• there is hardly any incentive in this Bill for genuine foreign universities to set up campuses in India. The big question is why a foreign university should use its own resources and capabilities to solve India's problem of higher education. What will they get in return?
• In order to enter, universities need to invest in at least 51 per cent of the total capital expenditure needed to establish the campus. Getting a suitable, accredited Indian partner who is really not interested in profit for remaining 49 per cent investment will be difficult for an accredited foreign university.
• The university has to go through an elaborate three-level registration process and will be granted deemed university status under Section 3 of the Universities Grants Commission Act, 1956. 
• According to the proposed NCHER Bill, universities will not be able to appoint vice-chancellors (VCs) on their own. It will be the prerogative of the NCHER to appoint VCs of all universities in India. Therefore, despite having a majority stake, foreign universities will not be able to appoint VCs on their own.
• foreign universities/institutions may not like the status of a 'deemed university' in India and may consider off-shore campus in India as a dilution of quality and something that can lower their brand image.
• will help save an outflow of about $7.5 billon of foreign exchange per annum as over 500,000 Indian students go abroad for higher education (mainly in engineering, management and medical courses).
• The reason for studying abroad is not just acquiring a foreign degree but to get exposure to the foreign culture and environment. Moreover, it is the work permit (an opportunity to work in a foreign country) after successful completion of the course that encourages the students to study aboard.
• entry of such institutions may result in faculty members from top institutions and universities in India joining foreign institutions that may offer higher salaries.
• t is going to be tough for the government to raise gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education from the present level of around 12 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020. The government alone will not be able to achieve the GER target and, therefore, will require partnership both with Indian and foreign institutions.