Latest news with #UGC
The Hindu
37 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
KAT orders fresh selection process for Principals in arts and science colleges
The Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) has struck down the State government's appointment of Principals to arts and science colleges, ruling that the appointments were made in violation of UGC norms and established guidelines. A Division Bench comprising judicial member P.V. Asha and administrative member P.K. Kesavan, in its judgement delivered on Tuesday, directed that fresh appointments must be made from a list of 110 eligible candidates in 2022 in strict adherence to UGC guidelines. A selection committee had then found 43 candidates eligible, from among which 36 were promoted as Principals. The remaining shortlisted candidates had retired by then. The appointment process had then witnessed controversy after the Higher Education department was accused of bypassing UGC norms by accepting articles published in journals that are not listed in the UGC-CARE (Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics) list for placements and promotions. The government also came under fire for considering deputation service as teaching experience. Such instances paved the way for allegations that the process was being manipulated by easing selection criteria to favour certain candidates. The tribunal has now held that only the deputation service rendered in the fields of teaching and research can be considered towards teaching experience for the appointment to the post of Principal. It also ordered a fresh selection committee strictly in tune with UGC Regulations. While those who had been promoted earlier are not compelled to appear for any interview for the appointment process, their current appointments would, however, be subject to the outcome of the reassessment. The entire exercise will have to be completed within three months, the KAT ruled.
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
University Of Bristol Gets UGC Nod To Open Mumbai Campus By 2026, Major Boost For Indian Students
New Delhi: The University of Bristol has received approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish its first international campus in Mumbai, which is set to open in the summer of 2026, marking a significant milestone in the UK-India education corridor, the British High Commission in India announced on Tuesday. In a post on X, the British High Commission in India stated that the university would be offering its globally acclaimed programs in areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, fintech, and more to Indian students. "Big news from the UK-India education corridor! The University of Bristol is set to open a comprehensive campus in Mumbai. Approved by UGC, the campus will bring the university's world-renowned academic offerings spanning AI, data science, fintech, and more to Indian students," the British High Commission said in the post. Big news from the UK-India education corridor! The University of Bristol is set to open a comprehensive campus in Mumbai. Approved by @ugc_india, the campus will bring the university's world-renowned academic offerings spanning AI, data science, fintech, and more to 🇮🇳 students. — UK in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKinIndia) July 29, 2025 The Deputy High Commissioner of the UK to India, Christina Scott, expressed her enthusiasm about the development, stating, "We are very excited, as today the University of Bristol has received the letter of intent from the University Grants Commission. The University of Bristol is the 7th British university to get permission to open a campus in India... We are very excited that they will be opening soon next year in Mumbai." She stated that the approval, granted on the 5-year anniversary of the National Education Policy (2020), would help deepen the UK's engagement with India in terms of education, providing transnational education models that blend academic experiences in both countries. "Today, we are celebrating 5 years of the National Education Policy, and it speaks to the quality of young people in India, and British universities recognise the country's potential and the appetite of young Indians to learn, making them keen to be here and work with them to help them grow into the leaders they aspire to be," Scott stated. "We have a lot of British universities that want to do more with India. Some are thinking about putting in applications, or some whom the University Grants Commission is considering. We also have numerous universities eager to attract Indian students to the UK for study, as well as those offering transnational education, which combines elements of both India and the UK. Those are really all very exciting opportunities," she added. According to a press release from the University of Bristol, the Mumbai Enterprise Campus will serve as a hub for collaboration among industry leaders, academics, students, and local community partners, fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial environment. The campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in key areas where the University of Bristol excels globally, such as data science, economics, finance and investment, immersive arts, and fintech. "Mumbai Enterprise Campus will bring together industry, academics, students, and local community partners within a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Initial subjects taught at the undergraduate and postgraduate level will focus on areas of global distinction for Bristol, such as data science, economics, finance and investment, immersive arts and financial technology, expanding to computer science and AI, business, and management," the release stated.
Times of Oman
11 hours ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
University of Bristol gets UGC approval to open campus in Mumbai by 2026
New Delhi: The University of Bristol has received approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish its first international campus in Mumbai, which is set to open in the summer of 2026, marking a significant milestone in the UK-India education corridor, the British High Commission in India announced on Tuesday. In a post on X, the British High Commission in India stated that the university would be offering its globally acclaimed programs in areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, fintech, and more to Indian students. "Big news from the UK-India education corridor! The University of Bristol is set to open a comprehensive campus in Mumbai. Approved by UGC, the campus will bring the university's world-renowned academic offerings spanning AI, data science, fintech, and more to India students," the British High Commission said in the post. The Deputy High Commissioner of the UK to India, Christina Scott, expressed her enthusiasm about the development, stating, "We are very excited, as today the University of Bristol has received the letter of intent from the University Grants Commission. The University of Bristol is the 7th British university to get permission to open a campus in India... We are very excited that they will be opening soon next year in Mumbai." She stated that the approval, granted on the 5-year anniversary of the National Education Policy (2020), would help deepen the UK's engagement with India in terms of education, providing transnational education models that blend academic experiences in both countries. "Today, we are celebrating 5 years of the National Education Policy, and it speaks to the quality of young people in India and British universities recognise the country's potential and the appetite of young Indians to learn, making them keen to be here and work with them to help them grow into the leaders they aspire to be," Scott stated. "We have a lot of British universities that want to do more with India. Some are thinking about putting in applications, or some who the University Grants Commission is considering. We also have numerous universities eager to attract Indian students to the UK for study, as well as those offering transnational education, which combines elements of both India and the UK. Those are really all very exciting opportunities," she added. According to a press release from the University of Bristol, the Mumbai Enterprise Campus will serve as a hub for collaboration among industry leaders, academics, students, and local community partners, fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial environment. The campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs in key areas where the University of Bristol excels globally, such as data science, economics, finance and investment, immersive arts, and fintech. "Mumbai Enterprise Campus will bring together industry, academics, students and local community partners within a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Initial subjects taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level will focus on areas of global distinction for Bristol, such as data science, economics, finance and investment, immersive arts and financial technology, expanding to computer science and AI, business and management," the release stated.
New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Four more foreign universities set for India launch
NEW DELHI: The fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was marked by the handover of Letters of Intent (LoIs) from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to four universities to open their campuses in India - three from Australia and one from UK. They were handed over by the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday during the launch of an education summit, Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) 2025. Projects for more than Rs 4,000 crore across the country including the campus inaugurations were launched by Pradhan. The Western Sydney University will open its campus in Greater Noida, La Trobe University in Bengaluru, and Victoria University in Noida while the University of Bristol will open in Mumbai. With these four, the number of universities handed over the LoI to open their campuses stands at six with one campus already opened. The University of Liverpool was handed over the LoI for a campus in Bengaluru in May 2025 and the University of Southampton in August 2024. The latter became the first to open its campus in Gurugram in Haryana on June 16 this year under the new NEP policy. 'Many more such campuses are in the offing,' a senior education official said. Dr Nicolene Murdoch, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Western Sydney University, said its campus was on course to commence classes by August or September 2026. 'We will be offering Bachelors in Business Administration and in IT to start with. We are expecting atleast 100 students to join us in the inaugural year in these graduate streams.' Infrastructure work has already commenced and the first phase will be ready next year, she said. 'In the future, we are looking at inviting both Indian companies and Australian ones to offer placements for our students,' Murdoch added. Pradhan said, 'Indian ethos lies at the core of NEP. Over the past five years, the government has succeeded in taking NEP 2020 from policy to practice – bringing about a paradigm shift in the education system and reaching classrooms, campuses and communities.' As the nation moved towards the Viksit Bharat 2027, the NEP serves as a national mission guiding the country. Minister of State for Education Jayanth Choudhary read out a speech from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark the significant occasion. Education ministers from several states took part in the event. 'Better placement opportunities for students ahead' Infrastructure work has already commenced and the first phase will be ready next year, Dr Nicolene Murdoch, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Western Sydney University said. 'In the future, we are looking at inviting both Indian companies and Australian ones to offer placements for our students,' she added.
HKFP
14 hours ago
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong public universities sign new accountability agreement requiring alignment with Xi's remarks
Eight public universities in Hong Kong have signed a new accountability agreement requiring them to follow the 'advice and guidance' of the central government and align with the remarks of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The eight signatories are the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University, and the Education University of Hong Kong. The publicly funded institutions signed the University Accountability Agreement with the University Grants Committee (UGC) for the 2025-28 period last month, setting out overall strategic directions, funding allocation principles, and performance indicators. The signed agreements, uploaded to the UGC website on June 30, called on universities to seize opportunities to contribute to Hong Kong's integration into the overall development of mainland China, with an emphasis on 'invigorating China through science and education.' The phrase was first used by President Xi at the opening session of China's 20th Party Congress on October 16, 2022. According to the new agreement, universities 'should also strive to follow the advice and guidance of the Central Government on the future of Hong Kong, particularly in light of the 'four musts' and 'four proposals,' and observe President Xi Jinping's remark on creating strong impetus for Hong Kong's growth and nurturing young talents for Hong Kong's stability and prosperity.' Xi mentioned the 'four musts' and 'four proposals' in his speech when he visited Hong Kong in July 2022 to mark the city's 25th Handover anniversary and to swear in the new chief executive, John Lee. Local media reported on Monday that this was the first time the UGC agreement had explicitly required local universities to follow the guidance of the central government since they began signing the three-year contracts in 2019. The new agreement instructed universities to strengthen education on China's Constitution, Hong Kong's Basic Law, and the national security law. This, the agreement said, would help nurture future leaders with 'a strong sense of integrity, law-abidingness, civic responsibility, work ethics, and mutual respect.' The UGC may adjust funding in cases of 'serious circumstances,' such as a 'major deficiency' in university governance or the management of public funds, a 'significant failure' to fulfil obligations stated in the agreement, or a 'serious contravention' of funding conditions. Funding may also be adjusted in response to unsatisfactory enrolment and admission outcomes or violations of Hong Kong laws. In April last year, Hong Kong ranked in the bottom 10 to 20 per cent among 179 countries and regions in the Academic Freedom Index 2024 compiled by researchers from the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, in Germany, and V-Dem in Gothenburg, Sweden. The index assessed the city's freedom to research and teach, academic exchange and dissemination, institutional autonomy, campus integrity, as well as academic and cultural expression.
