TGCHE and INFLIBNET mulling to sign an MoU for boosting research
Hyderabad: In a significant move to bolster academic and research infrastructure, Prof Devika P Madalli, Director of the Information and Library Network Centre (INFLIBNET), an autonomous Inter-University Centre of the University Grants Commission (UGC-IUC) in Gujarat, met with Prof V Balakista Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TGCHE). During their meeting, Prof Devika outlined the comprehensive range of services that INFLIBNET can offer to the public universities across Telangana.
As part of this initiative, orientation and training programmes will be conducted for key stakeholders, including researchers, supervisors, and students. A robust monitoring mechanism will also be established to oversee the effective execution of these services and ensure their sustained usage. A key highlight of this proposed collaboration is the development of the 'Telangana Catalogue' (TelCat), a state level union catalogue that will provide unified access to bibliographic information across universities. Additionally, continuous support will be extended to the Education Department and universities of Telangana throughout the project's lifecycle, aiming for long term capacity building and smooth integration of services into the academic ecosystem.
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The Hindu
22-06-2025
- The Hindu
Are foreign university campuses in India truly beneficial?
Every year, thousands of Indian students pursue higher education abroad, with the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia being among the top choices. According to data from the Ministry of Education, the number of Indian students studying overseas increased by 52.2% over five years; from 586,337 in 2019 to 892,989 in 2023. This is due to several factors: the perception of receiving a globally recognised, high-quality education at top-ranked universities; access to cutting-edge research facilities; improved career prospects; international exposure; better job opportunities and higher salaries; a superior quality of life; and relatively smoother immigration processes. Studies indicate that over 75% of Indian students who study abroad intend to work and settle in their host countries, with only a small fraction planning to return to India. This suggests that such students have already considered critical questions such as: What are the advantages of earning a degree from a foreign university? What career opportunities will it open up? New questions Now, with some foreign universities setting up campuses in India, aspiring students are beginning to ask a new set of questions: What are the benefits of earning a degree from an international university's Indian campus? Is it as valuable as studying at the main campus abroad? Will it offer the same academic experience and career prospects? The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 supports the establishment of independent campuses by foreign universities in India and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently announced that 15 international universities will set up campuses in the country during the current academic year. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has already issued Letters of Intent (LoI) to some institutions, including the University of Liverpool and to the University of Aberdeen to set up branch campuses in Bangalore and Mumbai respectively. According to the specified guidelines, foreign universities seeking entry into India must rank among the top 500 globally, demonstrate subject-specific expertise, and be duly recognised in their home countries to offer academic and research programmes. They will have autonomy in designing their curriculum, managing admissions, setting fee structures and are authorised to award internationally recognised degrees. Foreign universities stand to gain significantly by entering the Indian education sector as they can expand their global footprint, enjoy academic and administrative autonomy, and offer international degrees within India. The presence of top-ranked foreign university campuses in India is also expected to bring several advantages to the country. It can introduce world-class education; help raise domestic academic standards to global levels and promote knowledge exchange. Participation in conferences organised by these institutions can provide Indian scholars with valuable exposure and enriching learning experiences. Moreover, Indian students will be able to earn foreign degrees without going abroad, thereby helping retain talent within the country. Local needs and priorities But one must also ask: who are the actual beneficiaries? Will these branch campuses cater exclusively to the elite? Will academically gifted students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds have an opportunity to gain admission? In a country where millions of young people struggle to access higher education — or are unable to pursue it due to financial constraints — this initiative risks neglecting local needs and priorities. With regard to bringing world-class education to India, any foreign university setting up a campus here is primarily driven by monetary interests, and the focus is likely to be on profit rather than academic excellence. This opens the door to the commercialisation of education, reducing it to a commodity rather than upholding it as a service. Foreign university branch campuses in India risk becoming symbols of elitism rather than instruments of equality or social justice. A truly vibrant campus is one that embraces equality, upholds social justice, and celebrates diversity and inclusiveness. On a typical Indian campus, students from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds come together, interact, and learn from one another. This environment helps everyone become sensitive to the needs of one another and empathetic. A foreign campus in India is unlikely to foster or reflect this kind of inclusive environment. Introducing foreign university campuses should lead to reforms in the education sector, not widen inequality. It is misguided to claim that graduates from foreign university campuses in India will help reduce brain drain. On the contrary, a degree from a foreign university can serve as a stepping stone and increase the chances for those who aspire to work abroad. If the purpose of inviting foreign universities to set up branch campuses in India is to bring world-class education, develop global citizens, and transform the country into a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by 2047, the focus must be on addressing local needs, particularly by enabling economically and socially disadvantaged groups to access higher education and by improving the overall quality of education. That is what will lead to true transformation. Let us not forget: all that glitters is not gold. The writer is an ELT resource person and education columnist. Email: rayanal@
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Time of India
QS World Rankings 2026: IIT-Hyderabad, UoH, Osmania among top 50 Indian institutes; IIIT-Hyderabad, NIT-Warangal miss the list
Three Telangana institutions, IITH, UoH, and OU, have secured positions within the top 50 Indian institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2026. IITH improved its global ranking, while UoH and OU maintained their positions. Three premier institutes from Telangana — Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), University of Hyderabad, and Osmania University — have featured in the top 50 Indian institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2026, released on Thursday. A total of 54 institutes from the country made it to the list this year. Among them, IITH ranked 17th in India, while UoH stood at 28 and OU at 46. Globally, IITH improved its position to 664 from last year's 681–690 band. UoH and OU retained their previous positions in the 801–850 and 1201–1400 brackets, respectively. 'Many rankings, including the QS World, give weightage to perception and Internationalisation -- area where our universities often fall short,' said professor Chandra Shekhar Sharma of IIT. Officials from city-based institutions acknowledged the growing competitiveness. 'We are putting in effort to improve our rankings. This healthy competition is raising education standards. At UoH, we're focusing on research, publications, admissions, and improving perception. We hope to see results in the coming years,' said a senior UoH administrator. Notably, several institutes, including IIIT-Hyderabad, NIT-Warangal and JNTU-Hyderabad failed to make it to the rankings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เทรดทองCFDsกับโบรกเกอร์ที่เชื่อถือได้| เปิดบัญชีวันนี้ IC Markets สมัคร Undo Explaining the gap, Telangana State Council of Higher Education chairman V Balakista Reddy said, 'Only one of our state universities made the cut because we lack a strong research culture. We are taking measures to build it. Faculty now have access to international journals, and we're working to secure more national and international research projects. Improvements are underway to help more universities qualify in the future.' The 2026 QS rankings assessed 1,501 universities across 106 countries. Over 19.8 million research papers published between 2019 and 2023, with 200 million citations, were evaluated along with insights from 15 lakh academics and five lakh employers. Institutions were ranked on parameters such as academic reputation, faculty citations, employment outcomes, faculty-student ratio, internationalisation, and sustainability.
Hans India
20-06-2025
- Hans India
TGCHE and INFLIBNET mulling to sign an MoU for boosting research
Hyderabad: In a significant move to bolster academic and research infrastructure, Prof Devika P Madalli, Director of the Information and Library Network Centre (INFLIBNET), an autonomous Inter-University Centre of the University Grants Commission (UGC-IUC) in Gujarat, met with Prof V Balakista Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TGCHE). During their meeting, Prof Devika outlined the comprehensive range of services that INFLIBNET can offer to the public universities across Telangana. As part of this initiative, orientation and training programmes will be conducted for key stakeholders, including researchers, supervisors, and students. A robust monitoring mechanism will also be established to oversee the effective execution of these services and ensure their sustained usage. A key highlight of this proposed collaboration is the development of the 'Telangana Catalogue' (TelCat), a state level union catalogue that will provide unified access to bibliographic information across universities. Additionally, continuous support will be extended to the Education Department and universities of Telangana throughout the project's lifecycle, aiming for long term capacity building and smooth integration of services into the academic ecosystem.
