For approval, the following procedure is required to be fulfilled; namely-
(a) The Indian Higher Educational Institution shall obtain the approval of its Board of Governors/Syndicate/ Executive Council for the academic collaboration with the foreign higher educational institution in accordance with the instructions of the Department of Higher Education, Government of India vide F.No. 6-2/2015-ICC dated 17 th December, 2015 and its subsequent amendments, if any, issued from time to time.
8 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART III—SEC. 4]
(b) The Indian Higher Educational Institution shall, thereafter, apply online on the dedicated University Grants Commission portal and also upload along with the application a digitally certified copy of draft Memorandum of Understanding/ Agreement and details about the Foreign Educational Institution including the infrastructure facilities, facilities available for instruction, faculty, specified fee, courses, curricula, requisite funds for operations for a minimum period of three years and other terms and conditions of collaboration, if any.
(c) The draft Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement should incorporate the provision that the credits, awarded by the Indian Higher Educational Institution under the degree programs covered in the collaboration, shall be accepted by the Foreign Higher Educational Institution not only for the collaboration but for all other purposes, including academic mobility. Further, the minimum duration of the program of study, covered under the collaboration, in the Foreign Educational Institution shall not be less than two semesters for undergraduate programs and one semester for the postgraduate programs.
(d) The Commission, after receiving the online application along with draft Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement shall acknowledge online the receipt of the application. Deficiencies in the proposal, if any, shall be communicated and additional documents, if any required, shall be asked for within a period of 30 working days.
(e) Once the Commission is satisfied that the proposal is complete in all respects, the proposal shall be placed before the sub-committee of the Commission, referred to in the third proviso to Regulation 3(2)(b), for examining such proposals. The recommendations of the sub-committee shall be placed before the Commission which shall take the decision to issue a letter of approval, after considering various factors including quality of education, overall merit of the proposal, fees to be charged, credibility of the Foreign Educational Institution as well as Indian Educational Institution. In case the Commission does not approve the proposal, a letter of rejection shall be issued on the designated University Grants Commission portal by the Commission stipulating the reasons there for. All communications received from the applicants shall be responded to by the University Grants Commission within a period of 60 working days from the dates of their receipt.
(f) The approval so granted shall be valid for two cycles of the minimum duration of the degree programmes covered under the collaboration or as specified otherwise.
(g) The Indian Educational Institution shall apply, on the designated UGC portal, for renewal of approval, granted under these regulations, before six months of its expiration.
6 Miscellaneous conditions:- The other conditions required to be fulfilled are -
(a) A franchise arrangement, whether overtly or covertly, by whatever nomenclature used, between a Foreign Educational Institution and an Indian Educational Institution shall not be allowed under these regulations.
(b) The University Grants Commission shall maintain an updated list of approved collaborating institutions on its website.
(c) On commencement of these regulations, no Indian Educational Institution shall establish or operate its educational activity in India through collaboration with a Foreign Educational Institution leading to award of degree(s) without the express permission or approval of the Commission.
(d) Within the country the degree of the student graduating from Indian Educational Institution, in collaborative arrangement with Foreign Educational Institution, shall be awarded only by the Indian Educational Institution and not by Foreign Educational Institution whatsoever. Joint degrees are not permitted. The degree awarded by the Indian Educational Institution shall carry its logo, seal and name alone as the awarding institution. The degree may incorporate a para that it is being awarded in collaboration with the Foreign Educational Institution to make it amply clear that the primacy and the award of the degree is by the Indian Educational Institution and that the degree awarded is not to be construed as a Joint Degree.
The transcripts of credits obtained at the Foreign Educational Institution shall be issued by that Institution, and when jointly signed by the Indian Educational Institution, shall form part of the transcripts. The Foreign Educational Institution may also sign the transcript of credits earned in the Indian Educational Institution.