Kathmandu. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has come into operation to provide the equivalent of academic degrees obtained from foreign universities and higher educational institutions.

According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, the service provided by Tribhuvan University has been handed over to the Commission as per the legal provisions from July 17, 2083.

The EC has already prepared necessary regulations for the equivalence service and sent it to the Ministry of Education and Sports for approval. Currently, the regulation is in the process of seeking feedback from the Ministry of Finance and it is in the final stage of approval.

Although the regulation has not been approved, the Commission has prepared the necessary infrastructure and brought the online application registration system into operation from July 20.

According to the Ministry, the service is being operated in collaboration with Tribhuvan University based on the work process, basis and criteria that the Tribhuvan University has been following as per the ministerial-level decision of July 29 until the institutional structure of the commission is fully prepared.

According to the commission, the internal verification process of the applications received for equivalence has already started. Students have started paying the equivalency fee from August 20 and the equivalence certificate will be provided after the completion of the verification process.

So far, 3,162 users have registered for the new system and about 1,000 applications have already been initiated, according to the Commission.

Students can apply for equivalency, pay fee and receive digital certificates from anywhere through the Commission’s official online portal. The Commission expects the new system to make the equivalence service more fast, easy and transparent.