Higher education institutions across the country will now be allowed to creation up to 25 percent.

The draft “Guidelines for Admission and Supernumerary seats of International Students in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes in Higher Educational Institutions in India” was put in the public domain the previous month for finding feedback and has been notified now. Supernumerary seats for foreign students which have to adopt a transparent admission process for them, the University Grants Commission (UGC) said on Friday.

HEIs may create up to 25 pc supernumerary seats for international students, over and above their total sanctioned enrolment for undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The decision regarding supernumerary seats has to be carried out by the concerned higher educational institutions as per specific guidelines and regulations issued by the regulatory bodies considering the infrastructure, faculty, and other requirements,” the guidelines said. It concluded, “Indian HEIs may admit international students based on the equivalence of entry qualification held by them. The equivalence is to be determined by the UGC or any other body recognized by UGC for such purpose or the concerned regulatory bodies of the country. HEIs may adopt a transparent admission process for admitting the international students.” 

Explaining the admission criteria for admitting foreign students, UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar said the varsities would be free to choose admission policy own.  

Kumar told PTI, “Universities are free to choose the admission policy for foreign students. UGC has not stipulated any such entrance examination for admitting foreign students.”  

The UGC has clarified that the 25 pc of the supernumerary seats for international students will not include the international students under exchange programs or/and through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between institutions or between the government of India and other countries. 

”Depending on the availability of infrastructure and qualified faculty, efforts should be made to distribute these 25 pc seats among all departments, schools, centers, or any other academic unit of the higher educational institution. wherever possible. The supernumerary seats shall be exclusively meant for the international students both in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs.”  

“A seat that remained unfilled in the supernumerary category, shall not be allocated to anyone other than an international student. International students in this context shall be defined as the ones who shall possess a foreign passport,” the guidelines read.  

The provision of creating supernumerary seats for international students should be formalized by way of approval of the statutory body/bodies of the HEIs in accordance with the guidelines/regulations issued by the regulatory bodies from time to time. The supernumerary seats in professional and technical institutes shall be governed by the respective statutory bodies. 

”Supernumerary seats for Ph.D. programs shall be governed by the regulations notified by the UGC from time to time in this regard. All HEIs shall have an ’Office for International Students. Year-wise details like country, number, program/subject, duration, etc, regarding the international students in the HEI be maintained by it and be made available on their website. “All details regarding the number of seats available for international students in each program, fee prescribed for the same, admission process, eligibility conditions, etc. shall be made available on the website of the HEI,” the guidelines read.