Recognition of IB diploma for admission to universities and colleges

Click here to download an full report of the recognition of the IB diploma amongst tertiary institutes in India.

Higher Education in India

In India the central government is responsible for major policy relating to higher education in the country. It provides grants to University Grants Commission (UGC) and establishes central universities in the country. The Central Government is also responsible for declaration of Education Institutions as "Deemed to be University" on the recommendation of the UGC. There are 39 Central Universities under the purview of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, 251 State universities and 130 Deemed to be universities. The Central and State universities have faculties, academic departments, affiliated colleges, post graduate centers, and other recognized institutes under them.

Technical education plays a vital role in human resource development of the country; there are 65 technical institutions in India, which include 15 Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), 20 National Institute of Technology amongst others.

Entry to undergraduate courses is based on the performance in Class 12 examination and or Entrance test. Most of the professional institutes in India today prefer to conduct entrance exams for selecting candidates. The entrance tests are in the month of April/May or June. While some institutes participate in a common entrance exam, others may conduct their own individual entrance exams.

Engineering: Entrance to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is conducted through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Besides JEE, there are other engineering entrance exams as well. The All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) caters to the needs of the 18 National Institutes of Technology, alongside some other prominent engineering colleges.

Medicine: There are different competitive exams for medicine; one of them is All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination (AIPMT) for entry into Medical/Dental Colleges of India. Other professional courses such as Law, Hotel Management, and Bachelor of Business Administration also have an entrance test.

Please note: This is not a comprehensive list. Rather, it is an attempt to give an overview of higher education in India.

Accreditation

National Assessment and Accreditation Council, was established by the University Grants Commission to evaluate the quality of higher education in India. In addition to that, Professional councils are responsible for recognition of courses, promotion of professional institutions and providing grants to undergraduate programmes and various awards. There are 15 professional councils in India including All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) which recognizes technical education in India and Medical Council of India (MCI) recognizes Medical education in India amongst others. Before enrolling for a professional course, students must check if the institute has the relevant accreditation.

Evaluation of Foreign Degrees

The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is a society which promotes universities activities. The Evaluation division of AIU is responsible for the work relating to equivalence of degrees/certificates awarded by the accredited foreign universities/educational institutions. The Division also provides information to foreign students to facilitate their admission in Universities/other educational Institutions in the country.

Recognition of the IB Diploma

International Baccalaureate Diploma has been recognized by th e Association of Indian universities as an entry qualification to all universities in India since 1983 and renewed in 2010. See the IB recognition overview document for both the AIU statements.

The IBO produces and issues for universities a document detailing percentage equivalency along with the transcript of results. To request this service, students must notify their Diploma Programme (DP) coordinator of their intention to gain entrance into an Indian university. The coordinator will then submit the request using the Request for results service on IBIS (secured website for IB coordinators). The grade boundaries used to convert IB grades to Indian percentage for IB schools is available in the recognition overview document.

Students, particularly those applying for entrance to professional courses, can either apply to the AIU upon release of their results, specifying what professional courses they are applying for, or apply directly to the eligibility department of the university they wish to attend. Admission to most university courses is based on the academic achievement in Class 12 or entrance test. Entry requirements vary from university to university and course to course. Prior to commencing the DP, students and parents must be familiar with the required subject combination and levels for the student's future career path; this should ensure students' eligibility for particular professional courses. A student interested in studying an undergraduate course must make direct contact with the college or university he or she would like to attend to check specific course and entry requirements.