New rules for recognition of foreign degrees to cut 'unpredictable delays, ambiguity': UGC chairman

NEW DELHI: A day after the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued the regulations on the 'Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications' obtained from Foreign Higher Education Institutions, 2025, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, chairman of the UGC, said that the decisive step was taken to reform India’s higher education system and make it more inclusive, competitive and future ready.

“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,” the UGC chairman said.

Till date, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the largest university network in the world, has been granting equivalence to foreign degrees and working on the internationalisation of education.

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Now, through the new reforms, the UGC will facilitate the mobility of students and promote the internationalisation of the Indian education system.

The UGC has developed a transparent, technology-driven system for recognising foreign qualifications from schools and higher education institutions, Kumar said.

“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,” he added.