UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Letters of Approval handed over in the presence of the Union Education Minister, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to University of Bristol, University of York and University of New South Wales to set up campuses in India

Q1. Under the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, which one of the following correctly describes the eligibility threshold for a foreign higher educational institution to set up a campus in India?

• A. Position within the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings in the overall category in the immediately preceding year.
• B. Position within the top 500 of global rankings (overall or subject-wise) by recognised rankers, or possession of outstanding expertise in a particular area.
• C. Position within the top 200 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and accreditation by the home country's national accreditation agency.
• D. Position within the top 1000 of any global ranking together with a minimum endowment of USD 100 million earmarked for the Indian campus.

Q2. With reference to the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, as compared with the framework governing foreign universities at GIFT City, consider the following statements: 1. Unlike foreign higher educational institutions operating under the IFSCA framework at GIFT City, campuses set up under the UGC 2023 Regulations may be located anywhere in India. 2. The UGC 2023 Regulations require foreign higher educational institutions to offer all their programmes exclusively in online and Open and Distance Learning modes. 3. The UGC 2023 Regulations permit repatriation of surplus funds from the Indian campus to the parent institution, subject to the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Unlike foreign higher educational institutions operating under the IFSCA framework at GIFT City, campuses set up under the UGC 2023 Regulations may be located anywhere in India.
2. The UGC 2023 Regulations require foreign higher educational institutions to offer all their programmes exclusively in online and Open and Distance Learning modes.
3. The UGC 2023 Regulations permit repatriation of surplus funds from the Indian campus to the parent institution, subject to the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Educational Institutions to offer Twinning, Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes) Regulations, 2022 and the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, consider the following statements: 1. The 2022 Regulations enable Indian higher educational institutions to offer programmes in collaboration with foreign HEIs, whereas the 2023 Regulations permit foreign HEIs to establish their own independent campuses in India. 2. Under the 2022 Regulations, credits earned by a student at a foreign HEI may be counted towards a degree awarded by the Indian HEI, whereas under the 2023 Regulations the degree is awarded by the foreign HEI through its India campus. 3. Both Regulations exclusively govern foreign HEIs setting up branch campuses in GIFT City, which operate under the supervision of the IFSCA. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The 2022 Regulations enable Indian higher educational institutions to offer programmes in collaboration with foreign HEIs, whereas the 2023 Regulations permit foreign HEIs to establish their own independent campuses in India.
2. Under the 2022 Regulations, credits earned by a student at a foreign HEI may be counted towards a degree awarded by the Indian HEI, whereas under the 2023 Regulations the degree is awarded by the foreign HEI through its India campus.
3. Both Regulations exclusively govern foreign HEIs setting up branch campuses in GIFT City, which operate under the supervision of the IFSCA.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Which one of the following was the first foreign university to operationalise a campus in India under the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023?

• A. University of Liverpool, Bengaluru
• B. University of Southampton, Gurugram
• C. Deakin University, GIFT City
• D. University of Bristol, Mumbai

Q5. The Letters of Approval handed over to the University of Bristol, University of York and the University of New South Wales for setting up campuses in India were issued under the regulations notified by which one of the following bodies?

• A. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
• B. Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
• C. University Grants Commission (UGC)
• D. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)

Q6. Under the IFSCA (Setting up and Operation of International Branch Campus and Offshore Education Centres) Regulations, 2022, which one of the following best describes an 'Offshore Education Centre (OEC)' at GIFT IFSC?

• A. A campus set up as a branch by a foreign university on a standalone basis in GIFT IFSC
• B. A centre set up as a branch by a foreign educational institution, other than a foreign university, in GIFT IFSC
• C. An online distance-learning hub operated by an Indian deemed-to-be-university for overseas students
• D. A joint research and innovation centre co-funded by IFSCA and a foreign sovereign government

Q7. Foreign university campuses (such as Deakin University and University of Wollongong) set up at GIFT City are regulated, free from other domestic education regulations, by which one of the following authorities?

• A. University Grants Commission (UGC)
• B. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
• C. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)
• D. Association of Indian Universities (AIU)

Q8. The 1956 statutory reconstitution of the University Grants Commission of India was based primarily on the recommendation of which one of the following commissions/committees?

• A. University Education Commission (1948) chaired by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
• B. Education Commission (1964–66) chaired by Dr. D.S. Kothari
• C. Secondary Education Commission (1952–53) chaired by Dr. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar
• D. Sargent Committee on Post-War Educational Development (1944)

Q9. The Framework Mechanism for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications between India and Australia, signed in 2023, operationalised a commitment made by the Prime Ministers of the two countries at which one of the following events?

• A. 2nd India-Australia Virtual Summit held on 21 March 2022
• B. India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, 2021
• C. Quad Leaders' Summit held in Tokyo, May 2022
• D. India-Australia Annual Leaders' Summit, 2023

Q10. With reference to the foreign university campuses approved under the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, consider the following pairings of institution and host Indian city: 1. University of Bristol — Mumbai 2. University of York — Bengaluru 3. University of New South Wales — Bengaluru 4. University of Liverpool — Bengaluru Which of the above pairings are correctly identified?

1. University of Bristol — Mumbai
2. University of York — Bengaluru
3. University of New South Wales — Bengaluru
4. University of Liverpool — Bengaluru

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1, 3 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q11. Following the handover of Letters of Approval in June 2026 to the University of Bristol, University of York and the University of New South Wales, what is the total number of Letters of Approval issued so far to foreign higher educational institutions under the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023?

• A. Three
• B. Four
• C. Five
• D. Seven

Q12. Consider the following pairs of scheme and its implementing department / ministry: 1. SPARC — Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education 2. Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) — Ministry of Science and Technology 3. Study in India — Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education 4. Vigyan Dhara — Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education Which of the pairs given above is/are NOT correctly matched?

1. SPARC — Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education
2. Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) — Ministry of Science and Technology
3. Study in India — Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education
4. Vigyan Dhara — Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education

• A. 1 and 3 only
• B. 2 and 4 only
• C. 1, 2 and 4
• D. 3 and 4 only

Q13. Consider the following statements regarding initiatives of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education: 1. Under SPARC, eligible Indian partner institutions must be in the overall top-100 or category-wise top-100 of the NIRF. 2. Under GIAN, the principal objective is to attract foreign students to pursue full-time degree programmes in Indian universities. 3. The Study in India portal serves as a centralised single-window admission platform for international students seeking admission in Indian HEIs. 4. The Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme provides interest-subvented education loans to meritorious domestic students for higher studies. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

1. Under SPARC, eligible Indian partner institutions must be in the overall top-100 or category-wise top-100 of the NIRF.
2. Under GIAN, the principal objective is to attract foreign students to pursue full-time degree programmes in Indian universities.
3. The Study in India portal serves as a centralised single-window admission platform for international students seeking admission in Indian HEIs.
4. The Prime Minister Research Chair (PMRC) Scheme provides interest-subvented education loans to meritorious domestic students for higher studies.

• A. 1 and 3 only
• B. 2 and 4 only
• C. 1, 2 and 3
• D. 3 and 4 only