Amid India-China Tension, Govt Mulls Mandating Prior Approval For MoUs Between Indian And Neighbouring Universities

Amid the stand-off with China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the Centre is mulling on a proposal to make it mandatory for the Indian universities to get prior approval from government before signing any memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the educational institutions of the neigbouring countries, reports Hindustan Times.

According to the report, the Education Ministry, after consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is considering to make it mandatory for Indian universities to obtain government's prior permission for signing MoUs with varsities of countries sharing land borders with India.

The proposal was reportedly mooted by the Education Ministry after the review of China-funded Confucius Centres attached to Indian universities on 9 August. The MoUs signed between Indian and Chinese varsities were also reviewed by the ministry.

As of 1 April, Indian and Chinese educational institutions had signed 54 MoUs for the exchange of students and faculty.

The MEA was initially hesitant in mandating approvals for such partnerships as the proposal could impact partnerships with institutions from friendly countries. However, the MEA now reportedly has no objection to the proposal mooted by the Education Ministry.