NRI Varsity to come up in Bangalore

The country’s first University to provide higher and professional education to children of Non Resident Indians (NRI) is expected to come up in Bangalore shortly.

According to information reaching here, Federal Minister for Overseas Indians Vayalar Ravi made an announcement to the effect in New Delhi.

Though the name of the privately-run University is yet to be finalized, Ravi said the University, which will reserve 50 per cent of its seats to NRIs and People of Indian Origin (PIO), would start admissions from the next academic year 2009-10.

He said the Federal Ministry for Overseas Indians received a total of 16 applications in response to Expression of Interest invited in 2007. The Screening Committee, which had representatives from seven Ministries, had short-listed three.

“Though we wanted to allow all the three applicants to start Universities for NRIs and PIOs, we could legally grant permission only to one in view of a court case”, Ravi said.

Now, the Karnataka-based Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) will set up the University for NRIs, which will have deemed status, but would be governed by the guidelines of University Grants Commission (UGC).

MAHE will have complete autonomy to decide the courses, fee structure and administrative set up. “The Ministry will only supervise and ensure that the regulations are followed”, he said.