New Delhi: The US, Canada, Australia, and the UK are among the most sought-after destinations for Indian students pursuing higher studies abroad, according to Bureau of Immigration data.
V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs, presented the data while responding to a question Thursday by Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem.
He stated that the other top destinations for Indian students in the past five years included Germany, the Russian Federation, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Singapore.
On students’ safety abroad, the minister stated that welfare of students was “one of the foremost priorities” of the central government. In case of grievances, Indian missions take up issues with the respective universities and host country, he stated.
“Most recently, Indian students were repatriated under various operations such as Vande Bharat Mission, Operation Ganga and Operation Ajay from countries around the world,” Muraleedharan stated.
Data from the external affairs ministry shows that around 15 lakh students are currently enrolled abroad.
According to the ministry, last year, roughly 4.65 lakh Indian students were studying in the US, 1.83 lakh in Canada, 1.64 lakh in the UAE and over a lakh in Australia, among other countries.
Indians look for education opportunities abroad for several reasons. For instance, many of the top destinations, such as the US, are sought after for their reputable universities and promising career opportunities, while countries such as Saudi Arabia offer fully-funded scholarships as well as generous research grants.
However, the reality for many Indian students abroad may change, as countries like Australia, Canada and the UK have introduced visa restrictions over the past year.
The Australian government has tightened the proficiency tests for international students, requiring higher scores for visa applications. Students applying for a graduate visa will require a score of 6.5 on the International English Language Tests System (up from 6.0), while applicants for a student visa will need to score 6.0 (up from 5.5).
Similarly, the Canadian government increased the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants to more than double. International students will need to show access to CAN$20,635 instead of the previous requirement of CAN$10,000 existing over the past decades, along with their travel and tuition expenses.
Similarly, in the UK, international students will no longer be allowed to bring dependents to the country, except under specific circumstances.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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