Lok Sabha Question No. 191 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-04
Subject: Students Going Abroad for Higher Education
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 191

ANSWERED ON 04.12.2023

## Students Going Abroad for Higher Education

## 191. Shri G. M. Siddeshwar :

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that about 10-12 lakh students go abroad for higher education every year which reflects the level of education in the country;
- (b)  if  so,  the  amount  of  foreign  exchange  spent  every  year  for  pursuing  education outside the country;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  is  working  on  any  action  plan  to  stop  this  trend  by developing quality Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) in the country itself; and (d) if so, the details of the scheme/proposal and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

- (a) As per the information received from Ministry of External Affairs, the number of Indians who are studying abroad is approximately 13 lakhs.
- (b) Ministry of Education does not maintain the data of foreign exchange spent every year for pursuing education outside the country.
- (c)  and  (d)  National  Education  Policy  (NEP),  2020  envisages  broad  based,  multidisciplinary, holistic education  with flexible curricula, creative  combinations  of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate  certification.  Government  has  taken  several  steps  to  develop  quality Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) in India, details of which are as under:

Academic Bank of Credit digitally stores the academic credits earned from various recognized Higher Educational Institutes so that the degrees from an Institution can be awarded taking into account credits earned.

University Grants Commission has issued 'Guidelines for Multiple Entry and Exit in Academic Programmes offered in Higher Education Institution'. Multiple Entry and Exit provides the much-needed flexibility and appropriate exit options for a student who may discontinue his/her studies in different phases and re-enter to continue education into the higher levels.

Considering  the  rigidity  of  disciplinary  boundaries  in  Higher  Education  Institutions, University  Grants  Commission has developed "Guidelines for Transforming Higher Education Institutions into Multidisciplinary Institutions".

Students will be able to do parts of their programmes from both Indian and foreign universities under University Grants Commission (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Educational Institutions to offer Twinning, Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes) Regulations, 2021.

Higher Educational Institutes are being actively encouraged to participate in National Institutional  Ranking  Framework  (NIRF)  and  Accreditation.  Revised  Accreditation Framework  (RAF)  has  been  issued  with  70%  quantitative  and  30%  qualitative assessment.

World  Class  Institutions  Scheme  was  launched  in  the  year  2017  to  enable  higher educational institutions in the country to have affordable world class academic and research facilities. The regulatory framework of the scheme provides for identifying 10 institutions each from the public and private category to grant them the status of an 'Institution of Eminence' (loE). So far, 12 institutions have been notified as 'Institutions of  Eminence'  (loE)  which  include  08  institutions  from  the  public  category  and  04 institutions from the private category The 'Institutions of Eminence' (loE) have been granted  significant  autonomy  in  administrative,  academic  and  financial  matters  to achieve the objectives of the scheme. The public 'Institutions of Eminence' (loE) are also provided financial assistance up to Rs 1000 Crores, over a period of 5 years, to implement their plans for achieving the objectives of the scheme.

National  Educational  Technology  Forum  (NETF)  provides  a  platform  for  the  free exchange  of  ideas  on  the  use  of  technology  to  enhance  learning,  assessment, planning, administration. Samarth is an initiative to enable the universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through a digital framework for planning, management, delivery, and monitoring of services for students, staff, and other stakeholders.

To  address  the  increasing  skill  challenges  of  the  Indian  IT  industry  and  growth  of domestic IT market, the Ministry of Education has established five Centrally Funded Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) institutes and twenty IIITs, on a Notfor-profit  Public  Private  Partnership  (N-PPP) in India with a vision to provide world class human resources in IT, developing/strengthening the human capital available for the IT industry in the country, and harnessing the multi-dimensional facets of IT in various domains.

In addition to the above, in accordance with National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 recommendations, Regulations for foreign universities to open campuses in India have been issued by University Grants Commission.

World-Class Foreign Universities  and Institutions are allowed in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to offer courses in Financial Management, FinTech,  Science,  Technology,  Engineering  and  Mathematics  free  from  domestic regulations,  except  those  by  International  Financial  Services  Centres  Authority (IFSCA). Deakin University and University of Wollongong from Australia have been given in-principle approval to establish their campuses in GIFT City.

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