Debate: The Foreign Universities Bill

The Foreign Universities Bill was a creation of the former Indian UPA government – a measure which, if passed, would enable top-notch institutions from around the world to set up campuses in India – has been revived by the current Modi-led government.

Human Resources Development Ministry, led by Smriti Irani, is said to have this bill on it’s list of priorities for the near future. It is believed that this re-initiation of the bill will draw heavily on the original – which had received heavy opposition, with ministers believing that allowing foreign universities to set up campus here would lower the quality of higher education in India by opening the market up.

However, there is a need for an increased number of quality educational institutions in the country, and perhaps this is the best way of opening up avenues for students who are unable to obtain admission into top tier Indian institutions, or cannot afford the costs required to go abroad to study.

Naysayers claim this is making a “commodity” of the education sector.

Whether the new Parliament will clear a revival of this bill or not, will hopefully be seen in the next 100-days.