• UGC has finalized the draft regulations that allows Indian students to earn a dual degree conferred by Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions, separately and simultaneously.
• Students will also receive the advantage of credit transfer and joint degrees offered under academic collaborations between Indian and Foreign Institutions.
• As per the regulations which will be notified soon, the Higher Education Institutions of India can collaborate with the foreign counterparts for credit recognition, transfer and twinning arrangement for the degree offers.
• But the regulations will not be applicable for online or distance mode of study.
• According to the draft of UGC, any degree or diploma awarded based on these collaborations need not require equivalence certificate from any authority.
• Any Indian Institution accredited by NAAC with a minimum score of 3.01 or in the top 100 university category of NIRF or an institution of Eminence can collaborate with any of the top 500 foreign institutions of THE or QS World university ranking automatically.
• The Partnerships are allowed for four types of academic collaborations such as credit recognition and transfer, joint degree programme, dual degree programme and twinning programme.
• Under twinning programmes, a student enrolled under Indian Institution may undertake a partial study in foreign institution but the degree or diploma will be awarded by the Indian Higher Education Institution only.