Exclusive - Indian Campuses Of Foreign Universities In 2 Years: Official

UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said the rules have been geared towards preserving the autonomy of the institutions as well as protecting India's national interests.

The first Indian campuses of prestigious foreign universities may come up within two years, the chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) told NDTV on Friday, a day after draft rules for the massive move were cleared.

"We are trying to create more awareness about the new regulation. We are writing to 55 ambassadors of foreign countries who are located in New Delhi where these top universities are located," M Jagadesh Kumar said.

"We are also writing to the Indian ambassadors in these countries. We are contacting the universities too. There is an online application process, and then we will give them a letter of intent... within two years of giving the permission, we expect they will build a campus, and then they start their academic programme. In the next two years or so, there is going to be a lot of activity from the UGC side," he said.

Asked if he expected to see the first such campus in about two years, Mr Kumar said, "Hopefully, that should happen."