Cabinet clears India-UK pact on educational courses

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday granted ex post facto approval for the memorandum of understanding between India and the United Kingdom on mutual recognition of academic qualifications signed on April 25, 2022. As envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020, the MoU also facilitates offering joint/ dual degree courses between higher education institutions (HEIs).
Mutual recognition of qualifications (MRQs) between India and the UK aims to promote academic collaboration and student mobility. The request from the UK side to grant recognition to their one-year masters programme was considered, and during the meeting between the education ministers of the two countries held on December 16, 2020 in Delhi, a decision was taken to set up a joint task force for this purpose.
The first meeting was held on February 4, 2021 and subsequently after detailed deliberations and negotiations both sides agreed on the draft MoU. The MoU aims to facilitate the mutual recognition of educational qualifications, periods of study undertaken, documents related to academic degrees/qualifications and accreditation by educational institutions within the two countries.
Professional degrees like engineering, medicine, nursing and para-medical education, pharmacy, law and architecture are out of the purview of this MoU. It will also facilitate establishment of joint/dual degree courses between HEIs, one of our objectives under NEP 2020 for internationalisation of education. The MoU will promote bilateral exchange of information about educational structure, programmes and standards and increase mobility of students and professionals between the two countries.
It will also encourage other areas of cooperation in the education sector, development of study programs as mutually agreed upon by the parties. This MoU shall recognise equivalence in accordance with parity with regard to acceptability of qualifications as approved under national policy, law, rules and regulations of the two countries.