Lok Sabha Question No. 1311 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-25
Subject: Foreign Students
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Subhash Ramrao Bhamre

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1311 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2019

## Foreign Students

1311. DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

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; and
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  initiated  any  scheme  for  encouraging  the institutes/universities for enrolling more foreign students in their courses and 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:
- (b): Information is being collected.
- (c): 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

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

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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