Research work as an OCI student

hey, so im an OCI card holder (US citizenship by birth) and I have done all my studies in India and also pursuing my undergraduate degree here. I only recently found out that permission is required to conduct any research work as an OCI individual.

I require guidance to understand what's the extent of this? Do I need to apply for permission even if its a part of my coursework (with data collection)? Additionally, do I need permission even if I'm not doing doing data collection?

This is brief coursework in one semester alone. Do I still need to apply for what & how well is it regulated/enforced in this scenario?