India, UK to set up joint task force for mutual recognition of academic qualifications: Pokhriyal

India and the UK on Wednesday agreed to set up a joint task force consisting of designated higher education organisations from both the countries to work towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said.

A decision in this regard was taken in a bilateral meeting between Nishank and UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab here on Wednesday.

“India and the United Kingdom have agreed to set up a joint task force consisting of designated higher education organisations from both the countries to work towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications. This will support India’s agenda for internationalisation of higher education.

“The agreement to work towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for creating a globally mobile workforce and internationalisation of Indian higher education, as proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 rolled out in July this year,” Nishank said.

The meeting was also attended by Minister of State for Education Sanjay Dhotre and senior officials of the education ministry.

Raab hailed India’s National Education Policy 2020 as visionary and said the proposed reforms will open up opportunities for students, the economy and for deeper engagement and collaboration between the two countries.

“This policy will help make the bridge of education between India and the UK stronger. The UK has a lot of respect for the academic rigour coming out of India, and the contribution of the Indian student community is highly valued by our country. The UK has made several changes in its visa and immigration rules to facilitate student mobility,” he said.

Both sides expressed hope and confidence that they would further enhance mutual engagement in the field of education, research and innovation, leading to deeper and stronger bilateral relations.