Reservation laws may not be applicable for the foreign universities aspiring to set up campuses

here, but they are ready to carry out affirmative programmes for children of the weaker section, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said on Friday.

The Cabinet this week passed the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, which seeks to allow the foreign educational providers to set up campuses in India and regulate their operations.
According to him, there are a number of foreign institutions aspiring to be associated with the education sector here. But not necessarily all of them will set up campuses. Some of them are interested for collaboration, while a few are interested for joint research with Indian institutes.

In a way it will help students to get education and degree at a much cheaper price (i.e. $20,000 or 15,000) from a foreign university which would have cost them hugely (i.e. $60,000 or 70,000), if they had travelled to those countries for the same courses, thus people may not go abroad and study here, Sibal said.

He also said that the foreign institutes will not be allowed to repatriate surplus generated from education activities in India. "If we feel that services are paid or being paid in an indirect fashion for the purpose of repatriating money, we will certainly look at that issue."