Jaipur National University gets approval to start offshore campus in Dubai

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Education has allowed the Jaipur National University to establish an off-shore campus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The education ministry asked the university to accept certain conditions in the form of a legal undertaking before the commencement of the academic session in order to start the campus.

The department of higher education informed that the ministry considered the university’s proposal to set up the off-shore campus as per the provisions of the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s Establishment of and Maintenance of Standards in Private Universities Regulations, 2003.

“After consideration, this Ministry conveys its no objection for establishment of an Off-Shore Campus Centre of Jaipur National University at Dubai, United Arab Emirates,” the department said in an official letter to the university.

The ministry listed down the conditions to be fulfilled for establishing the campus. As per the conditions, there shall be no financial or any other liability on the government or any public authority in India including any liability arising out of disruption in campus or its closure or any diplomatic issues related to the offshore campus.

The off-share campus of the university should have sufficient academic and physical infrastructure as per the UGC norms. There should not be any diversion of faculty or academics from the existing campus, MoE said.

“There shall be no diversion of financial resources from the revenues generated in the domestic campus of Jaipur National University, faipur and there shall be no cross subsidization of education at the Off-shore Campus by the domestic Campus at Jaipur, Rajasthan or its Constituent Units, if any, in any form,” it added.

UGC rules, quality of courses

The higher education department asked the university’s off-shore campus to follow the UGC rules and to not engage in any activity that may lower Indian higher education’s reputation or cause embarrassment to the host country. Along with that, the campus will have to follow the rules of the country it will be established in.

While the quality of the programmes offered at the off-share campus will have to be at par with the rules, the university will have to inform the education ministry, UGC, and ministry of external affairs about any kind of agreement with any organization of Dubai.

The government or UGC may visit the off-shore campus at any time to verify the infrastructure facilities, programmes, faculty, financial viability, etc.

Lastly, the Jaipur National University will directly administer admission to the off-shore campus along with evaluation and conferring of degrees. For developing the campus, the government will allow land lease in the name of the university or land in the name of a strategic partner in case lease is not allowed in UAE for which it will have to enter into an agreement with the partner.