In a major relief for Indian students pursuing education abroad, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has rolled out a landmark reform: foreign degrees will now be recognized within just 15 days of application. This regulation, officially notified on April 5, 2025, marks a decisive shift from decades of bureaucratic red tape and is poised to transform how India handles international academic qualifications.
What’s Changing?
For nearly a century, the recognition of foreign degrees in India was the domain of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)—a process infamous for delays and opaque standards. Many returning students found themselves in limbo, with degrees awaiting equivalency approval for months or even years. Now, the UGC has taken over, introducing a centralized, time-bound process that reflects the realities of today’s global education ecosystem.
Under the new guidelines, Indian nationals holding foreign degrees—excluding those in regulated professional fields like medicine, law, and architecture—can obtain equivalency certificates within 15 calendar days, or 10 working days, from the date of application. This is a huge improvement for students looking to apply for jobs, pursue higher education, or even just get their credentials officially recognized in India.
Who Benefits?
The biggest beneficiaries of this policy are the 13+ lakh Indian students studying abroad as of August 2024. Whether they’ve earned degrees from universities in the United States, the UK, Australia, or elsewhere, their return to India no longer involves frustrating delays and inconsistent procedures. This change also supports students applying for Indian government jobs or admission into Indian postgraduate programs.
Moreover, employers and educational institutions in India also benefit. The faster recognition system ensures quicker onboarding of globally educated candidates, boosting academic and professional integration.
How the New System Works:
The UGC has launched a dedicated online portal where students can apply for degree equivalency. Here’s what the process looks like:
- Submit scanned copies of degree certificates, transcripts, course duration proof, curriculum structure, and credit system.
- Ensure that the credit hours of the course fall within a 10% variation of Indian standards.
- A UGC-appointed standing committee reviews each application.
- Applicants receive official equivalency within 10 working days.
This system brings not just speed but also transparency and consistency—a welcome change for thousands of Indian students who invest heavily in overseas education.
Why It Matters
This reform is more than administrative housekeeping. According to UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, the move is part of a broader strategy to align Indian higher education with global benchmarks, promote mobility, and attract academic talent. It also complements India’s goal of becoming a global education hub, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Caveats for Professional Degrees
The 15-day recognition rule, however, does not apply to degrees in regulated professional domains like MBBS, BDS, law, or architecture. These will continue to be governed by respective statutory bodies such as NMC, BCI, and CoA.
Student and Expert Reactions
Initial reactions from students and academic observers have been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s a big relief,” says Ananya Mehta, a postgraduate from the University of Toronto, “I waited six months for my degree to be recognized in 2022. This would have saved so much time.” Experts, however, caution that the success of this reform depends on robust backend execution, timely updates, and support services.
In conclusion, the UGC’s 15-day foreign degree recognition rule is a progressive leap forward in higher education reform. For Indian students returning from abroad, it means less stress and more opportunity. For India’s education system, it signals readiness for a truly global future.