Nepal’s University Grants Commission Takes Over Foreign Degree Equivalence Service

The service to provide equivalence for academic degrees obtained from foreign universities and higher educational institutions is now being operated through the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Previously, Tribhuvan University was providing this service, but as per the legal arrangement, it was transferred to the commission from Ashar 1, 2083, according to the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The UGC has prepared the necessary regulations for the equivalence service and sent it to the Ministry of Education and Sports for approval. Although the regulations have not been approved yet, the commission has made necessary arrangements to prevent the service from being disrupted and has launched an online application registration system from Ashar 6.

Temporary Arrangement

Until the commission’s institutional structure is fully prepared, the service will be operated in collaboration with Tribhuvan University, based on the decision made by the minister on Ashar 15, according to the ministry.

According to the UGC, the internal verification process for equivalence applications has already started. Students have been paying the equivalence fee since Ashar 20, and the equivalence certificate will be provided after the verification process is completed.

So far, 3,162 users have registered in the new system, and around 1,000 applications have been processed, according to the UGC. Students can now apply for equivalence, pay fees, and receive digital certificates from anywhere through the UGC’s official online portal.

The UGC expects the new system to make the equivalence service faster, easier, and more transparent.