The HRD Ministry issued a new set of 15 guidelines for private Indian educational institutions planning to set up offshore campus. These guidelines have been notified and would be made applicable for all future proposals for setting up offshore campuses.
As per a few provisions of the new guidelines, the institutions cannot take faculties from their Indian campuses and should not diversify profit from the domestic campus to the foreign campus or cross subsidies them. Each institution would also have to give an undertaking agreeing to the guidelines before the permission to go ahead with the proposal is granted. Also, institutes wishing to introduce a new course in the offshore campus need to get permission from the Indian government.
The ministry also issued certain rules for students seeking admission in an offshore campus, considering the problems faced at home by Indian students who went to Russian medical colleges. Going forward, students seeking admission in an offshore campus will have to obtain an eligibility certificate from the concerned regulatory body. Besides, a distinction will have to be made in the degree awarded by the offshore campus from the Indian one.
Also the medical students passing out from foreign campuses will not be made eligible for professional practice in India unless they satisfy the conditions of eligibility, including passing such examinations prescribed under the provisions of the MCI Act, 1956, and MCI Screening Test Regulations, 2002.
The ministry has also requested the institutes advertising for admission to an offshore campus would have to make it clear to the aspirants that mere completion of the MBBS program at the foreign campus will not mean that the person can practice as a doctor in India. A similar clarification will also be needed in case of engineering, management or other courses.
The 15 guidelines also makes it clear that the Indian government or any other public authority will not have any financial liability in respect of the offshore campus.