New Delhi: A comprehensive Legislation will be introduced in Parliament shortly to regulate entry of foreign universities and educational institutions in the country, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi informed the Rajya Sabha on December 13.

Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said the proposed Bill would seek to prevent encroachment of the Indian education market by foreign institutions.

"The government is aware of the problem and the new Bill will address these issues to safeguard the interest of the student community," he said adding the University Grants Commission has framed draft regulations for checking the entry of foreign universities and educational institutions in the country.

Joshi said the government has constituted a Committee with the objective of regulating operations of foreign educational institutions in the country.

The Centre has also taken up the matter with Indian Missions in major foreign countries, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to check on the antecedents and credibility of educational institutions from these countries offering education to Indian students, he said.

The minister said while no specific study on the problems of Indian students studying in foreign universities had been conducted by the government, 144 foreign universities, colleges and institutions were offering various courses of study to Indian students.

PTI