If Planning Commission has its way, not only Indian universities but also IIMs and IITs among the government-run institutions will be able to have their overseas campuses.
The idea of devising ways to allowing Indian universities and government-run institutions to expand their business abroad to cross-subsidise higher education for weaker sections within the country finds favour with the commission. These institutions can invest the profit they earn overseas in ensuring higher education accessible to the vulnerable groups and a broad based educational infrastructure in the country.
Of late foreign universities are being roped in to establish their campuses on our soil. Against this backdrop, the plan panel move comes as a pleasant surprise.
While there has been a provision for private educational institutions to explore the option to set up their bases abroad and do expand their business in the foreign land, no such privilege is available to government-run institutions.
Symbiosis and BITS, Pilani are the prominent names among the Private institutions who already have their campuses abroad.
However, Pune University, which had opened its campus in United Arab University (UAE) in May this year, has established a precedent among the government run institution. It had to go through many a stumbling block before going global. It faced both legal and bureaucratic obstacles in the absence of well defined rules and regulations on opening campuses in this regard.
Eventually the PMO had to intervene in favour of the Pune University get the proposal cleared.