UGC Asks Varsities To Start Courses In Heritage To Attract Foreign Students

New Delhi (News on time)| The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday asked all higher education institutions to start offering courses in topics related to Indian culture and heritage, including ayurveda, yoga and ethics, to attract foreign students.

The Commission has shared guidelines on the introduction of courses based on Indian heritage and culture, asking the institutions to take necessary steps to start offering them. The guidelines follow the National Education Policy 2020, the higher education regulator said.

The guidelines came months after a parliamentary panel on education in March suggested that the higher education department of the education ministry issue guidelines for universities to introduce courses on Indian heritage and culture.

“It will result in an increase in the enrolment for foreign and domestic students keen to unravel and unfurl the reservoir of hidden knowledge in this ancient paradigm of learning that may eventually lead to improvement of world rankings of our institutions as well,” the committee on education, women, children, youth and sports said in a report in March.

Short-term, multi-tier, credit-based modular programmes with multiple entry and exit points will be designed by the universities to boost interest of students from abroad to visit India. “Based on the degree of learning outcomes and the rigor of the curricular structure of relevant disciplines, the course can be offered at three distinct levels: Introductory level, Intermediate level, and Advanced level,” the guidelines stated.

While specifying the target group and eligibility criteria, the guideline said “persons from various countries having interests in Indian heritage and knowledge system who enrolled in such specific courses for acquiring knowledge shall be eligible for admission. Specific eligibility conditions may be prescribed by the concerned University/Institution offering such courses.”

The guidelines specified 46 areas under which the courses can be offered. They included ayurveda, Indian languages, archaeological sites of India, cultural heritage of India, Indian philosophy, Indian music and dance forms, Indian rituals, Indian manuscript system, Indian food and fashion, Indian mythology, Indian laws and Indian rivers, among others.

As per the guidelines, each programme will be for 60 hours that may be offered under flexible and hybrid (online and offline) mode. “It is recommended to include discourse with learned educators (acharyas), artists/artisans/ craftsmen, confluence with religious devotees (Satsang), exposure to folk cultures and visit of famous places in the programmes, especially at advanced level under this scheme,” the commission said in the guidelines.

The credit earned in such programmes will be recognised under the credit transfer system and accumulated in the academic bank of credit of students. The required credits, necessary educational components and requisite level of learning outcome will be decided by the institutes.