Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Backdrop of NEP 2020

Abstract

The NEP 2020 was approved by the cabinet on June 29, 2020. With the Cabinet approving the
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, thereby ushering in reforms in Indian education sector, the
move has paved way for foreign universities to set up operations in India. According to the NEP
policy document, selected universities from the top 100 universities will be facilitated to operate in
India. An International Students Office at each institution hosting overseas students will also be set
up. With a clear goal of making India a “global study destination”—the NEP has charted an
ambitious roadmap for making internationalisation of higher education a reality by 2030. There are
pressing reasons behind the NEP’s strong pitch for opening up of India’s higher education sector to
the world. Firstly, despite having second largest higher education system in the world, none of its 990
universities and 40,000 colleges figure in the World University Rankings. Further, the country ranks
as low as 72 among 132 countries in the latest Global Talent Competitive Index which gauges
country’s current ability to grow and attract talents. One of the key reasons for this is education
bureaucracy’s prolonged stranglehold over higher education system preventing innovation and
expansion of the sector. Secondly, with gross ratio enrolment over 26 percent and expected to grow
further (50 percent by 2035 as per NEP projection), India’s mammoth higher education sector is
ready for massification. Given the size and growth prospects, India has the potentials to emerge as a
top destination for global universities. Thirdly, Top foreign universities would bring in capital, latest
education technology, innovative pedagogy and facilitate institution mobility that is missing in India.
Their mere presence let alone collaboration and partnerships can spur competition and innovation
among Indian universities. Fourthly, with shortage of high-quality educational institutions, there is a
steady flight of quality students to foreign countries for higher degrees. In 2019 alone, some 750,000
students went for abroad to pursue higher studies. On an average, students spend $15 billion per year
to earn these degrees. Therefore, by having top foreign institutions, students can obtain these degrees
in the country at a much lower cost. Besides, there are some challenges in the Internationalisation of
Indian higher education. For a country like India, where the budget allocation per capita in higher
education has been diminishing due to the growing population in the tertiary age group, foreign
players may be allowed to invest in the market to ensure capacity building and infrastructural
development. The feasibility can be justified, but a proper regulatory framework is essential. This
paper tries to present the reasons behind the Internationalisation of Indian higher education in the
backdrop of NEP 2020 and to point out some challenges in the Internationalisation of Indian higher
education