International students in India

Post our presentation in the International week for Grad 5104, discussing about Higher Education in India and getting questions about International students coming to India for education, I wanted to explore this more and thus thought of writing a blog about it. In this blog, I talk about some of the facts about education system in India, international student population coming to pursue education in India and mentioning some of the links for some of you who may have an interest to pursue education in India.

Starting with giving a bit of historical perspective about education in India. The country has been a major seat of learning for thousands of years. India was home to both Takshashila - one of the first university in the world, and to the inventor of the digit 0 - Āryabhaṭa. Indian educational system is as encompassing and as diverse as its history, making studying in India unlike anywhere else. India is home to the world's largest university by enrollment, Indira Gandhi National Open University, with 3.5 million students.

India is perceived across the world, especially in the developed nations as a country that sends international students. However, the paradigm has shifted over that past few years and an increasing number of students from various countries are now opting to study in India. Indeed, the 2015 Open Doors report from the Institute of International Education found that India is the 12th most popular country for US students abroad. This was surprising for me as well.

Most of the international students come from countries such as Nepal, Malaysia, Afghanistan and a number of African and middle eastern countries. The most popular courses for foreign students include Bachelor of Technology and Bachelor of Business Administration, followed by Bachelor of Arts, Science and Commerce degrees. In fact, there are over 2,000 foreign students studying engineering and medicine each. However, nearly 80% of the foreign students are enrolled in undergraduate courses. In India, Karnataka is by far India's biggest hub for foreign students followed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

One of the major reasons which is attracting international students to India is the availability of quality education at a reasonable cost. Compared to international study hubs like the USA and Australia, the cost of education is negligible. The average tuition fee in India works out to be around $1,000 compared to about $ 25,000 in the US. While living in India can be challenging for international students, it is surely an affordable and rewarding experience.

At present, the Government of India is taking several steps to attract more foreign students such as promising to waive or discount fees and to expedite visas under a programme called 'Study in India' launched by the Human Resource Development Ministry and aided by the External Affairs Ministry. Through Study in India, foreign students will have access to a range of educational institutions, from smaller private colleges that offer diplomas to large universities offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees. The list includes the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other esteemed institutes. The program aims to target students especially from the “partner countries” — countries with which India has warm diplomatic relations — such as Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Iran and Rwanda.

I hope this blog provided you with a brief idea about scenario of international students coming to India. For more information, please refer to the following links.