It is believed that current guidelines issued by the government will give foreign universities to work as private entities with complete autonomy on the course fee. This seems to have gone well with Indian varsities, who feel it could hurt their system. “There are no definite guidelines for fee structure for these universities. They are expected to work as private entities. Hence, it will create a ground of competition between private and international universities, where students will suffer the most” Sujata Shahi, vice chancellor, IILM University, told FE Education.
Additionally there are apprehensions that the entry of foreign universities can create unequal preferences when it comes to employment opportunities with the former being preferred. “With big universities, the consumer market can shift their preference. However, cognitive skills and experience are still expected to be a priority,” Sumit Kumar, chief business officer, TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, said.
Interestingly, experts opine that this move may force Indian universities to up their level of education. However, academicians are quick to point out that the quality of education and institutional eminence still remains in the dark as there is no benchmark set by the UGC. “Among the top 500 universities on global rankings, all the universities might not be as qualifying as the major ones. While it can be beneficial for the international market, it might not benefit Indian students,” Shahi added.
In addition, experts remain sceptical about the efficiency of faculties in such universities as the UGC has strictly ruled out online classes from course curriculum. “Assurance of efficient faculty is important for quality education. Whether faculties will be recruited from abroad, or from Indian universities, uniformity and consistency is important for these varsities to sustain,” G Pardha Saradhi Varma, vice chancellor, KL Deemed to be University, said.
