India-Russia Education Conference -The Outcome Document
Moscow, February 26, 2018
Conference and the Outcome
● The Conference was able to deliberate upon various issues relating to the educational cooperation between India and Russia and the ways and means to strengthen it further. The possibility of increasing the number of Indian students in Russia was duly explored.
● It was agreed that there is a need to improve the educational experience of the students studying in Russia and make the admission process and post admission management more student-friendly and transparent.
● The Universities, Educational Consultants (ECs) and other stakeholders agreed that lack of transparency is the biggest deterrent for the prospective students and there is a need to ensure transparency in admission process and post-admission management. In this regard a number of measures were agreed upon by the Universities and the ECs.
The Universities agreed on the following:
● In case the admission is made through ECs, the Universities will provide details of the authorized ECs on the website itself and will also provide a list of such ECs to the Embassy.
● The ECs will be selected on the basis of their proven track record, background of the promoter/directors, turnover, tax-related documents filed with the Indian tax authorities, PAN/Aadhaar details and other documentary requirements.
● It will be ensured that unscrupulous/fly-by-night ECs/contractors are kept out of the system. Such operatives will be brought to the notice of the Embassy for blacklisting.
● Bi-partite Agreements/Contracts signed by the Universities with the students and Tri-partite Agreement/Contracts signed by the Universities with the students and the ECs will be in English or Bi-lingual – Russian and English.
● The Admission Letters issued by the Universities to the students will be in English or Bi-lingual –Russian and English.
● Both the Agreements/Contracts and the Admission letters will contain the following minimum details: (i) Details and duration of the Course; (ii) Medium of instruction, year wise (e.g., 1-3 years English, 4-6 years Russian; all 6 years in English; or all 6 years in Russian as the case may be); (iii) Tuition fee year-wise; (iv) Whether hostel facility is provided by the University or ECs and the monthly/yearly rent. If the students have to make their own arrangements, necessary guidance in this regard; (v) Type of medical insurance provided and premium to be paid; and (vi) Name and details of the EC through which the admission was made.
● Copies of the Agreements/Contracts will be provided to the students/parents.
● The Universities will work to adopt a standard template of the Agreement/Contract having the aforesaid mandatory information.
● Tuition fee will be paid through banking channels only and fee receipts will be provided invariably to the students. No cash transaction will be allowed.
● The Universities will admit only the number of students based on the capacity to impart education in English so that the quality of education is not compromised.
● Due attention will be given to impart quality education to ensure better pass percentage in the ‘Foreign Medical Graduate Examination’ (FMGE). (Consistently low pass percentage in FMGE over a period of 3 years would make the University liable for delisting by the Medical Council of India.)
● Efforts will be made to provide high quality hostel facilities with full safety and security measures.
● Efforts will be made to adopt web internalization of the universities - designing and improving the university websites in English - giving necessary information.
● They will ensure that the ECs don’t indulge in turf war with one another at the cost of the students.
The Universities also agreed to provide the following data and documents to the Indian Embassy at the beginning of each year:
● Total number of Indian students studying in the university (1st to 6th year).
● No. of Indian students admitted in last academic year – directly or through ECs.
● EC-wise break-up of the students admitted.
● No. of students graduated each year (Graduate and PG programs).
● Number of students who cleared FMGE, year-wise.
● No. of students expelled during the year and reasons thereof - (a) Academic non-performance, (b) Financial debt, (c) Self-expulsion or (d) Medical grounds (data relating to final expulsions should be separately provided within 30 days of such action).
● List of authorized ECs engaged by the university.
● Blank samples of the Agreements/Contracts and Admission letters.
The ECs agreed to provide the following data and documents to the Indian Embassy at the beginning of each year:
● University-wise breakup of the number of students admitted by them in the last academic year.
● Total number of students admitted by them in various universities (1st to 6th year).
● No. of students graduated each year (Graduate and PG programs).
● Number of students who cleared FMGE, year-wise.
● Number of students who returned prematurely and the grounds for that viz., expulsion due to academic non-performance, financial debt, self-expulsion or medical grounds (data relating to final expulsions should be separately provided within 30 days of such action by the university).
● Blank samples of the Tripartite and Bilateral Agreements/Contracts.
The ECs also agreed to comply with the following:
● They will work to provide admission in the top Russian universities only.
● They will ensure that education at the University being offered by them for admission is of high quality and has the capacity and infrastructure to impart quality education in English medium.
● They will provide correct information to the prospective students, especially the course and the duration of course, medium of instruction year-wise, University fee structure, commission to be charged by them, medical insurance, hostel facilities, living conditions, details of extra services provided by them, their responsibilities in case of termination of admission/expulsion of the students by the Universities, and visa related issues.
● The above aspects will be clearly brought out in the bilateral Agreements/Contracts signed by the ECs and the student in India on Stamp Paper.
● Copies of the Agreements/Contracts will be provided to the student/parents.
● All financial transactions will be through banking channels, no cash.
● They will ensure proper reception and initial settlement of the students arriving in Russia in close coordination with the Universities.
● They will ensure that the hostels provided to them are of high standard with full safety and security features.
● They will maintain close contacts with parents and keep them fully updated about their wards.
● The ECs will ensure that genuine demands of the students are quickly met-including documentation and infrastructural amenities.
● They will not indulge in turf war at the cost of the students.
● They will ensure that the students are not maltreated by them or their representatives. Such conduct would make them liable for blacklisting.
