Lok Sabha Question No. 1377 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Foreign Students
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: A.K.P. Chinraj, Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Supriya Sadanand Sule

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1377 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## Foreign Students

1377. SHRI A.K.P. CHINRAJ: DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE: SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA: SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of foreign students from different countries enrolled to study in different Indian Universities during the last three years and the current year;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  criteria  for  granting  VISA  to  these foreign students and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  survey  to  determine  which  of  the domestic institutions/universities has witnessed the highest influx of the students from foreign universities and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) if not, the reasons thereof and the possibility of such survey to be conducted in future; and
- (e) whether the Government has initiated any scheme for encouraging the institutes/universities  for  enrolling more foreign students in their courses for upgrading the standard of these institutes/universities and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ( SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK' )

- (a):  The year-wise details of number of foreign students enrolled to study in different Indian Universities,  as per  All  India  Survey  on  Higher  Education  (AISHE) (based on actual responses), are tabulated as under:

| Year    |   Total Number of Foreign Students |
|---------|------------------------------------|
| 2015-16 |                              45424 |
| 2016-17 |                              47575 |
| 2017-18 |                              46144 |
| 2018-19 |                              47427 |

- (b): Information is being collected.

(c): The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has published an occasional paper 2017/1 'Internationalisation of  Higher Education  in  India -  Annual Survey of International  Students  in  India  2014-15'  in  which  the  details  of  foreign  students studying  in  India  University-wise,  in  respect  of  the  member  institutions  of  the Association  of  Indian  Universities,  is  available.    This  paper  can  be  accessed  at https://aiu.ac.in/documents/international/AIU\_International\_Students\_2017.pdf.

(d):  Does not arise.

(e): Government of India has launched a flagship scheme viz. Study in India, in the year  2018,  with  the  objective  of  increasing  the  flow  of  inbound  foreign  students  to India  and  making  India  a  preferred  destination/hub  for Higher  Education by  way  of brand  building,  social  media  campaigns  etc.    Under  this  programme,  following components are introduced to encourage the institutes/universities for enrolling more foreign students in their courses:

- i. Identification of target 30+ countries for branding in initial phase
- ii. Selection of partner institutions on the basis of  grading given by National Assessment  and  Accreditation  Council(NAAC)(3.26+)  and ranking  under National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)
- iii. Creation of a dedicated web portal www.studyindia.gov.in
- iv. Setting up of call centre support
- v. Preparatory work for launch of a Mobile App
- vi. Systematic branding
- vii. Undertaking of social media and offline advertisements campaigns
- viii. Fee waivers ranging from 100% to 25%
- ix. Adequate scholarships to meritorious students through Champion Services Sector Scheme
- x. Conduct of event management in the target countries
- xi. Conduct of Webinars
- xii. Setting up of Hostels of International Standards

Apart from this,  there are 10% supernumerary seats created in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)  and  15%  for  National  Institutes of  Technology  (NITs)  for  foreign students. The NITs admit students through the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA)  scheme. The  University Grants Commission  (UGC)  encourages  the institutes/Universities for enrolling more  foreign students in their courses for upgrading the standard of these institutes/universities. The Central Government and the UGC are taking various measures to improve quality of higher education by way of taking several initiatives so as to automatically attract foreign students to study in India.  The  UGC  undertakes  maintenance  of  standards  in  teaching,  research  and quality  assurance in  Universities, Deemed to be  Universities and Colleges through framing  and  notifying  regulations,  schemes  and  disbursing  grants  to  the  eligible institutions.  The  UGC  has  notified  several  regulations  with  a  view  to  sustain  and improve the quality of higher education and to undertake academic reforms.

Moreover,  one  of  the  recent and  prominent  initiatives  of  Government  of  India  is declaration of Educational Institutions as Institutions of Eminence (IoE) to provide world class education to the Indian Students within  the country.  Twenty Institutions have been recommended for status of 'Institutions of Eminence (IOE). IOE scheme has  been  launched  in  order  to  implement  the  commitment  of  the  Government  to empower the Higher Educational  Institutions  and  to  help them  become  world  class teaching and research institutions. It is expected that the above selected Institutions will come up in top 500 of the world ranking in 10 years and in top 100 of the world ranking  eventually.  To  achieve  the  top  world  ranking,  these  Institutions  shall  be provided with greater autonomy viz. to admit foreign students up to 30% of admitted students; to recruit foreign faculty upto 25% of faculty strength; to offer online courses upto 20% of its programmes; to enter into academic collaboration with top 500 in the world ranking Institutions without permission of University Grants Commission; free to fix  and  charge  fees  from  foreign  students  without  restriction;  flexibility  of  course structure  in  terms  of  number of  credit hours  and  years to  take  a  degree;  complete flexibility  in  fixing  of  curriculum  and  syllabus,  etc.  In  case  of  the  private  institutions proposed as IOE, there will be no financial support, but they will be entitled for more autonomy as a special category Deemed University.

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