A lot has been said about Indian students traveling abroad for higher education but did you know that for many students of developing countries, India is a preferred destination for education? Yes, the Study in India program has made India a favorite amongst students in developing countries.
Check the official website – https://www.studyinindia.gov.in/ – to know more about the program
In the year 2017-18 alone, 46,144 students from other countries were enrolled in Indian educational institutions. These students came from 166 different countries.
While the number may be small in comparison to Indian students abroad, it is a marked increase from the 6,988 international students enrolled in Indian colleges in 2000.
Read: The 9 Best Countries To Study In Asia
The composition of the international student population in India has been changing over the years.
Currently, almost one-fourth of these students hail from Nepal. Afghanistan is the second biggest source country with 9.5% of the student population calling this country their own.
While a large number of students come from Africa, the number has been dropping. Nigeria stood at 4th place in 2017 but a year later slipped to 5th place.
| Countries | Nepal | Afghanistan | Sudan | Bhutan | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In 2017-18 | 24.9 | 9.5 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4% |
A majority of international students in India are enrolled in undergraduate courses. Two of the most popular courses are Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Technology.
A number of foreign students are also enrolled in medicine and engineering courses. It is interesting to note that male students outnumber female students in also most all categories.
In April 2018, the Government of India announced an initiative called Study in India to encourage foreign students to come to India for their education.
The program was launched by 4 ministries; the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Home Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce.
It aims at attracting over 200,000 foreign students to Indian universities. This is about 4 times the number of foreign students currently enrolled in colleges across India.
The objectives of this program have been defined as:
The program targets students from 30 countries in Asia, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States that were once a part of the Soviet Union. Social media campaigns to encourage students from these countries to look at India as an educational hub have already resulted in over 2,500 students signing up for counseling.
The salient features of this program are:
It isn’t just international students who stand to benefit from better opportunities for education in India. The Indian government also sees foreign students as ambassadors of India in their home countries. This is a way for India to extend its soft power overseas.
The education sector is also a way to attract foreign exchange. Even with tuition fee waivers, students will still have to spend a certain amount on their accommodation, food, entertainment, etc.
In 2017-18, Indian students abroad spent around $2.8 billion on tuition and hostel fees. For the same year, foreign students in Indian colleges and universities spent only $479 million.
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