India’s UGC rolls out framework for recognising international qualifications

Indian students who have studied abroad and wish to return to India for further education or employment can now apply for an equivalence certificate through the UGC’s dedicated portal by paying the prescribed fee.

“Many students return with international qualifications to seamlessly integrate into India’s higher education system or workforce. Such students need a structured procedure to evaluate foreign credentials without unpredictable delays and procedural ambiguity,” commented Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, chairman, UGC. 

“UGC has developed a transparent, technology-driven mechanism for recognising foreign qualifications from schools and higher education institutes. This move is crucial given the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of transforming India into a global study destination. If Indian institutions are to attract international students, we must ensure fair recognition of degrees earned abroad.”

A standing committee will evaluate each application within 10 working days, considering factors such as course duration, credit requirements (with a 10% variation permitted), curriculum structure, and learning components.

This move is crucial given the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision of transforming India into a global study destination. If Indian institutions are to attract international students, we must ensure fair recognition of degrees earned abroad
_{Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, UGC}

Professional degrees in fields like Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Law, Architecture, and other disciplines overseen by statutory regulatory bodies in India are excluded from the scope of these regulations. 

Instead, the recognition of such qualifications will remain under the purview of the respective councils, which will continue to follow their own established guidelines and procedures for granting equivalence.

Moreover, degrees obtained through franchising arrangements will also not be recognised, according to UGC. 

The new system replaces the century-old process handled exclusively by the Association of Indian Universities since its inception in 1925.

AIU, which has 1,064 member institutions, including 19 from overseas, handles approximately 2,000 requests for equivalence certificates annually. 

It remains unclear whether the AIU will continue issuing equivalence certificates, a detail that is likely to be clarified once an official government notification is released.

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