India's cabinet approved a proposal on Monday to allow foreign universities to set up branches here, potentially opening a huge market to international educational institutions. The cabinet plans to introduce the Foreign Education Providers (Regulatory) Bill in parliament next month. The bill would then have to be passed by parliament before becoming law. "This is a milestone which will enhance choices, increase competition and benchmark quality in education," said Minister of Human Resources and Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who handles education. A similar bill introduced earlier was blocked by the government's former leftist coalition partner, the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The chances for the bill becoming law this time are greater because the left is no longer a part of the ruling coalition. About 160,000 students a year leave India to study abroad, according to the National Knowledge Commission, an advisory group to the prime minister. More than 100 foreign educational institutions offer programs in India, but most are vocational or technical and run for only a few weeks or months.[Read more...]