University Grants Commission Warns Against Chinese Universities, Says Online Degrees Are Not Valid!
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday advised students to employ “due diligence” before making the decision to pursue higher education in China because the country hasn’t eased travel restrictions. Many Indian students have not attended classes in-person since the pandemic started.
Degree courses in online mode won’t be considered
The higher education regulator gave students a vague warning by informing them that it doesn’t recognise “degree courses done only in online mode without prior approval.”
UGC’s advisory came on the same day as the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issue of the return of Indian students to China with his Chinese peer Wang Yi. Jaishankar said to reporters that India is hoping that Beijing would adopt a “non-discriminatory approach” on the matter.
Students had to return to India due to Covid-19
As per the data given by the Indian Embassy in China amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 20,000 Indian students had been enrolled in medical degrees. A majority of the students had to come back to India after China closed down all its universities following the pandemic restrictions and they have been unable to return ever since due to strict travel curbs. The students are concerned that their medical degrees may become invalid if online classes continue because of not getting any practical experience.
Students won’t be able to appear for FMGE
The National Medical Council (NMC) of India had on 8th February gave a clarification stating that students could not appear for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), a licensure examination to practise in India if their medical courses were conducted online.
“Minister Wang Yi assured me that he would speak to the relevant authorities on his return on this matter. He also recognised the particular concerns that medical students have in this difficult situation,” Jaishankar said to reporters after his meeting with Yi.
On Friday, UGC’s advisory was released just as several Chinese universities were inviting applications for various degree programmes for the next few academic years.
The notice further added that the Chinese authorities had earlier communicated that the courses are going to be conducted online and as per the enduring rules, UGC and AICTE would not consider such degree courses pursued through online mode without prior approval.
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