Foreign students applying to study in India, including NRI and OCI students, will not necessarily need to adhere to the Common University Entrance Test, and educational institutions can adopt their own process of admission, in a transparent manner, the University Grants Commission said.
“CUET-UG is not compulsory for admission to UG programmes in Indian universities for candidates having a foreign passport. Each university may have their own transparent admission process for admitting foreign students. However, if some foreign students wish to write CUET-UG in the 24 test centres in foreign countries, they can write. It is up to the university to use either CUET-UG score or other means,” Kumar told DH.
“However, all foreign, NRI and OCI candidates are advised to visit the website of the university or institution or organisation where admission is sought and go through their relevant guidelines in this regard and be guided accordingly,” Kumar said.
The National Testing Agency has started the process of inviting applications for the CUET. Applications are open till March 12.
UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said that foreign students, NRI and OCI candidates can also opt to apply for CUET (UG) and appear in any of the cities outside India where the entrance test is conducted.
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When a foreign student is applying for CUET, they will need to select their nationality in the dropdown as either Indian, OCI, NRI or Foreign, and can choose to appear in over 24 cities outside India where the CUET will be conducted. This year, the CUET will be held across cities in Nepal, Thailand, Brazil, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Qatar, UAE, Vietnam, Hongkong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Nigeria, Bahrain, Russia, Muscat, Canada, Mauritius, Riyadh province, Singapore, Australia, Austria and the USA.
The UGC had, in September 2022, informed all universities through the “Guidelines for Admission and Supernumerary seats of International Students in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes in Higher Educational Institutions in India” that higher educational institutions may adopt a transparent admission process for admitting international students, and that there is no need to use CUET score.
The seats set aside for foreign nationals in UG and PG programs is 25 per cent of the supernumerary seats. In PhD programmes, each faculty member can take two additional students over and above the limit prescribed by the UGC.